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3 controversial sales Arsenal must consider this summer
- Arsenal are expected to be busy again this summer
- Big stars are entering the final years of their contracts
- Mikel Arteta's process is ready to see some controversial exits
By Kenneth Daly
Can you fix something which is not broken?
It looks like Arsenal will attempt to do just that this summer as, after years of big investment, the time has come to sanction a few unpopular exits.
Our current situation marks a natural turn in the Mikel Arteta ‘process’, where players who were brought in to raise baseline qualities are not suited to furthering squad potential and space/funds must be freed up to embellish what is now a title-chasing team.
Additionally, the Gunners have often failed to move players on at the right moment before (Alexis Sanchez, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, etc) and consequently paid a big financial price. The wealth of options and precarious contract situations we have now indicate this year needs to be different.
3 controversial sales Arsenal must consider this summer
Arsenal will move up another gear following the summer transfer window, and here are three tough sales that should be considered as a result.
1. Oleksandr Zinchenko
Perhaps no one fits the ‘right time’ bracket quite like Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Despite his many outstanding contributions in an Arsenal shirt, Zinchenko bears significant defensive weaknesses (notably in one-on-one scenarios) that cannot always be accommodated at the elite level - and they might therefore hold us back.
The case for selling him is only strengthened by a poor injury record and stiff competition at full-back, with Jakub Kiwior proving to be an able deputy and both Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jurrien Timber nearing first-team returns.
Furthermore, the Ukraine international will soon enter the final two years of his contract and, at the age of 27, this summer is an opportune moment to cash in before reinvesting the money during another busy transfer window.
Fans should not overlook the impact Zinchenko has had at Arsenal and the role he played in our 2022/23 title charge, but his unavailability and on-pitch shortcomings indicate a departure would make a lot of sense.
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