According to the latest reports, Premier League side Arsenal is prepared to sell three players in the upcoming summer transfer window following their failure to qualify for the Champions League. The Gunners will reportedly be offloading defender Shkodran Mustafi along with midfield duo Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Unai Emery took charge of Arsenal football club back in the summer of 2018 and has had quite a mixed bag following the departure of legendary manager Arsene Wenger. The 69-year-old was in charge of the North London outfit for 22 long years and won several major trophies during his reign including seven FA Cups and three Premier League titles.
Arsenal Transfer News That Could Be In The Spotlight For Quite Some Time
But towards the last few seasons of Wenger’s tenure, even the most ardent of Arsenal fans wanted him out of the club due to his failure to challenge for big titles on a regular basis. The club needed a new life and a breath of fresh air and Emery provided just that initially.
The Spanish boss took Arsenal on an unbeaten 22 game run across all competitions during the early stages of the season. Most of the players he recruited in the summer also hit the ground running and Emery implemented his philosophy well into the team. But the 48-year-old managed to take Arsenal to fifth place in the Premier League table and were unable to qualify for the Champions League because of a finish outside the top four.
Arsenal had another chance to make it into the elite European tournament as they faced local London rivals, Chelsea, in the final of the Europa League and a win would guarantee Champions League football for Emery’s team. But a 4-1 humiliation in the final against Maurizio Sarri’s Blues in Baku showed that Emery needs a big change with his team and a massive task wait over the summer and beyond if he is planning on getting Arsenal challenging for silverware on a regular basis.
What Will Happen For The Gunners In The Upcoming Days?
Reports now claim that Arsenal is preparing to sell three big-name players in the summer to generate some transfer funds. Emery has not been using key playmaker Mesut Ozil regularly and his £350,000 a week wage is also a question about whether Arsenal needs to pose for themselves and whether they want to keep him at the Emirates. Along with Ozil, another player who has come under the scrutiny of the Arsenal faithful is Armenian winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan and 30-year-old is on the brink of an exit from Arsenal.
Mark Irwin: #AFC are stepping up efforts to sell Özil to raise funds for transfers. Mesut wants to stay, however, and has no intention of being forced out with two more years on his contract. Özil tops Emery’s to-sell list but fee clubs could pay his wageshttps://t.co/6HvZh8KS1D
— Arsènic™ (@MrArsenicTM) June 14, 2019
The Gunners have struggled defensively and need reinforcements in the summer. They will also have to push out the players that are not required and tie the club down. German centre-back Shkodran Mustafi has still not proven to be a resourceful purchase since 2016 for Arsenal.
Mustafi has shown his inability to grow as a footballer and Arsenal fans have been vocal about his poor performances and want him to leave the club as soon as possible. The three players can generate Emery some more transfer funds as they look to revamp most of their squad.