Arsenal quartet Olivier Giroud, Jack Wilshere, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil all in danger of being sold to fund summer targets
Other players in danger of leaving the Emirates this transfer window are Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy, Kieran Gibbs and Lucas Perez
IT’S clear Arsene Wenger has identified Thomas Lemar as one of Arsenal’s main transfer targets for the summer, but with Monaco rejecting three bids for the 21-year-old, with the latest being €50million, it’s clear he won’t come cheap.
While Chelsea have already sold players like Nemanja Matic and Nathan Ake to raise money, Wojciech Szczesny has been the only significant Arsenal departure.
Our friends at Football Whispers look at the players the Gunners should sell to raise money to bring in players of Lemar’s value.
Olivier Giroud
Olivier Giroud has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium after the arrival of club-record purchase Alexandre Lacazette for £52million.
The Gunners could recoup at least £20million for the 30-year-old, and Everton are thought to be after him as the target man to replace Romelu Lukaku at Goodison Park.
He might be reluctant to leave and tapped the badge after scoring against Benfica in the Emirates Cup, but a lack of first-team football ahead of the World Cup this summer could end up being a crucial factor.
While Arsenal would do well to cash in on someone who is no longer a first-choice option in their starting line-up, they are unlikely to find a better replacement for a similar fee.
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Jack Wilshere
Once the next big thing, injuries have taken a toll on Jack Wilshere and he’s now surplus to requirements at Arsenal – it seems he won’t get in their midfield ahead of Granit Xhaka, Aaron Ramsey, Mohamed Elneny, Francis Coquelin or even Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
There has been talk the Gunners reportedly wanting just £9million for the 25-year-old, who impressed at times on loan at Bournemouth last season before suffering a broken leg.
Letting Wilshere leave wouldn’t be easy, given he came through the academy and was once hailed by Barcelona legend Xavi as the future of English football.
But it’s probably best for him and Arsenal to get a fresh start and get his wages off the books as they begin to build a new team.
Lucas Perez
If Giroud is out of favour, Lucas Perez is even further away from the pitch after just two league starts last season.
The Spaniard has wanted a move away from the Emirates for a while, with his agent Rodrigo Fernandez Lovelle confirming that back in February.
He told Calciomercato: “Lucas wants to leave at all costs and is not happy at Arsenal, he hasn’t settled and hasn’t had a chance to play and show what he can do.”
Sunsport revealed he is a Newcastle United transfer target as they look to add a striker to their squad after promotion and Arsenal want £13.4million for the 28-year-old.
Kieran Gibbs
The arrival of Sead Kolasinac won’t have gone down well with Kieran Gibbs, who knows it’s surely the end of his Arsenal career.
They have put a £15million asking price on the left-back, which has dissuaded the likes of West Bromwich Albion, who have had a £10million bid rejected.
He is still believed to be a Watford transfer target and will be more money in the coffers for a player who is unlikely to feature much this season, with Nacho Monreal, Kolasinac and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all capable of deputising at left wing-back in Arsenal’s 3-4-3 formation.
Calum Chambers
With Rob Holding’s emergence towards the end of last season, Calum Chambers’ chances may be increasingly limited and a bid of around £20million should convince Arsenal to sell.
After a good season on loan at Middlesbrough, the former Southampton man’s stock is high and it’s time to cash in while they can, as his value would surely drop after a season without much action.
He’s a Crystal Palace transfer target and you would expect them to be willing to pay the money as they look to replace Mamadou Sakho.
Mathieu Debuchy
Out of favour after playing just 16 minutes last season, Arsenal will want to get Mathieu Debuchy’s £70,000-a-week wages off the books.
He won’t get in at right wing-back ahead of Hector Bellerin or Oxlade-Chamberlain and while at 32 he won’t command much of a fee, it’ll be more important to get him off the books.
It’s probably a surprise to many he’s still at Arsenal.
Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez
This is the controversial pick.
Wenger doesn’t want to sell Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, probably his two best players.
They would command big fees this summer though Sanchez is subject of Manchester City transfer rumours, with a potential swap deal with Sergio Aguero being mooted.
If they leave on a free transfer in a year’s time when their contracts run out, Arsenal will get nothing for the two men and that doesn’t make good business sense.
In the short term, it would be a blow to lose Ozil and Sanchez, but selling them could help fund a new Arsenal with the likes of Lemar coming in and being a star at the Emirates for years in the future.
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