Arsenal's next big sale is so obvious it hurts

It's fair to say that Arsenal sucks at selling players. In fact, that would win the award for understatement of the year.

Considering the most amount of money they've made from a single transfer is by selling Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a whole nine years ago, this raises alarm bells about the Gunners' ability to sell players.

In fairness, the club is in a different position now. They've only been taken seriously for the last four seasons, and in that time, they have wanted to keep their big players rather than sell them. They did sell Folarin Balogun in 2023, Emile Smith Rowe in 2024 and Eddie Nketiah in 2024, so there has been progress made.

The next big sale that Arsenal will make, or at least the most likely, is not a Hale End Graduate, though.

Arsenal's next big sale is obvious, but that doesn't make it any easier

The first team player that Arsenal is most likely to sell next is Ben White. While it won't be an easy decision to make, especially given his return to form this season, it is unfortunately the most logical.

Ben White isn't the first choice that he was when he first signed for Arsenal, even more so when he first converted to playing right-back. Nowadays, when every defender is fit, Jurrien Timber is the strongest option at right-back.

That's not to throw shade at Ben White, who is an excellent backup option in his own right. A player like White, though, should be playing week in, week out. If Arsenal cannot guarantee that for him, then he might just need to look elsewhere.

If White were to leave Arsenal, it would benefit each party in the long run. White would get a proper runout in a role he deserves, and Arsenal would actually get some decent money on a player for a change.

Let's address the elephant in the room; Arsenal has many contracts that need sorting out. Thankfully, they're all covered for 2026 but in 2027, Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli all run out of contract. Ben White is in the 2028 expiration club.

Of the bunch, it's hard to ignore Ben White sticking out like a sore thumb. He is by no means a must-sell, and no Arsenal fan would argue with the decision to renew his contract if Mikel Arteta sees fit. But that's where the problem lies. Mikel Arteta doesn't value Ben White as an assured starter, despite what he can offer.

It won't be easy to bid farewell to Ben White, but Arsenal cannot keep letting players run down their contracts without listening to offers.