Now the season is done and dusted, it seems reasonable for everyone’s attention to turn to what I am sure will be another busy summer transfer window at The Arsenal. In this piece, I will take a look at the players who could leave the club in the next few months, along with who may be interested in them and how much we can expect to get from their sale.
- Aaron Ramsdale
Why should he go?
It seems a long time ago now, when Mikel Arteta was talking about subsisting goalkeepers in games and having two keepers at the level to share the game time. Since then, David Raya has become the undisputed number 1, leaving Ramsdale surplus to requirements, and at 26 years old with the desire to be the next full time England keeper it’s time for Aaron to find a new club.
Where could he go?
In theory, a homegrown goalkeeper who made last year’s PL Team of the Season, should be an ideal number 1 at almost any Premier League team in need of a goalkeeper. Looking down the table, potential clubs in need could be Chelsea, Newcastle, Wolves or Brentford. Chelsea ended the season with Djorde Petrovic in goal, although he was serviceable, with their desire to get into the top 4, they could do with an upgrade. Newcastle have liked to recruit homegrown players since their takeover, such as Dan Burn, Anthony Gordon, Lewis Hall, among others, and would think they would like to upgrade on Nick Pope, who isn’t exactly your ‘modern goalkeeper’. Rumours are that Wolves are set to lose Jose Sa, and Mark Flekken hasn’t massively impressed at Brentford, and this could open the door for a potential move for Ramsdale from either of those clubs. We also saw Aaron priding fancy dress at the play-off final last weekend in support of Southampton, given Gavin Bazunu’s struggles last time around in the top flight, they may also be looking for a goalkeeper, and with Russel Martin’s pass-pass-pass approach, this could be a good tactical fit.
How much should we get?
Here lies the problem. According to reports Aaron Ramsdale earns £120k per week, making him one of the highest earning goalkeepers in the league. With him being our number 2, having spent the whole year warming the bench, clubs know we need to sell him. All of this has tanked his value. Reports suggest Arsenal want at least £30 million, and Newcastle are willing to offer £15 million. Arsenal should stay firm in their valuation here, seeing as Chelsea paid £25 million for Brighton’s back-up keeper last season. Teams such as Newcastle are striving to get to Arsenal’s level, and I am sure they don’t want to strengthen our financial position because they know we will reinvest it well and potentially further the gap between the clubs on the pitch. This is shown by another report suggesting Newcastle were willing to offer £20 million for James Trafford, from relegated Burnley, who is essentially Bambi on ice between the sticks…
Aaron Ramsdale is a bonafide Premier League keeper, who is likely to be England’s next number 1 and is not yet in his prime. If nobody wants to pay up, I would use the fact we have the player tied down to a long contract, and send him on loan to the best team possible, possibly with a healthy option/obligation to buy. If he performs and the crowd embraces his character as much as the Emirates did, it would be hard for a club to not take up that option.
Should we replace him?
Not only will we need a new number two, with Karl Hein and Arthur Okonkwo out of contract, Arsenal could need 2 new goalkeepers this summer.
Credit: Arsenal.com
2. Eddie Nketiah
Why should he go?
Eddie started 9 of our first 11 league games this past season, since then he has played a grand total of 308 PL minutes. Whilst having some high points, such as his hattrick against Sheffield United, he hasn’t been able to prove he is at the required level for where this team is heading. It’s time for him to go and prove elsewhere that he is at the required level to lead the line for someone else!
Where could he go?
Being a young English striker, a Premier League move makes sense for Eddie. His best performance for Arsenal in my opinion, came in the 22/23 campaign, when he scored a brace against Manchester United, and if he can play like that consistently a solid mid-table club with European ambition would be ideal for him. West Ham have long needed someone to take the reins from Michail Antonio, Brighton could look to find their Danny Welbeck successor. Crystal Palace have always appeared to be in the room when it comes to Eddie, and if after a great season from Dominic Solanke sees him move on, potentially Bournemouth could come knocking.
How much should we get?
After that first 10 games, that saw our number 14 receive an England call-up, his value could have gone above the £40 million mark, but with lack of minutes since then and the fact that he is pure profit on the books, £20-25 million for a goal scorer sounds feasible.
Should we replace him?
Arsenal have Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Leo Trossard who have all made positive contributions when playing as the 9 in the last 2 seasons, so there could be an argument a replacement isn’t needed, but with Jesus’ injury record and Trossard finding his best form from the wing, it is likely Arsenal look to sign a new striker to compete with Kai.
3. Reiss Nelson
Why should he go?
In the last 10 league fixtures, Reiss Nelson did not even make the squad in 8 of them. He’s now 24 years old and has plenty of quality to offer someone, even if it’s not to be Arsenal. There’s a concern that Reiss is happy to be a squad player at Arsenal, but a solid playing career is there for the taking if he wants it!
Where could he go?
I believe Reiss could start regularly for a mid-table Premier League team, he is quick, strong, works hard for the team, and is capable of scoring and assisting at this level. If he likes the London footballer lifestyle, the likes of West Ham, Brentford, Fulham could all be good moves for him. There is also Brighton who were interested in taking him on a free last season. Nelson also had a reasonably successful loan spell with Feyenoord previously, so maybe a move on to the continent could see him find a home, in a similar way to Jadon Sancho who found one in Dortmund.
How much should we get?
Like Eddie, Reiss is pure profit on the books. He’s clearly got tremendous talent, but wages could be an issue for a buying club. £8-12 million pounds could prove to be stout business for a side if they manage to get Reiss playing week-in-week-out at the level he is capable of.
Should we replace him?
Seeing as Nelson doesn’t appear to make the match day squad when everyone is fit, a replacement is certainly not essential, one player to replace Eddie and Reiss should suffice. Whether that is a centre forward or a wide forward is to be debated.
4. Emile Smith-Rowe
Why should he go?
Simply put, the manager does not trust him. He doesn’t get on the pitch enough. This is a player who scored 10 league goals in the 21/22 season, when it seemed that he and Bukayo Saka were on a similar trajectory, however now, they seem worlds apart. This one will hurt Arsenal fans, but it’s time ESR went to a club that considers him an important player, and I am sure we will still love watching the player wherever he ends up.
Where could he go?
I look at Cole Palmer and the impact he had on Chelsea. He was on the fringes of the City squad, and whilst he clearly had lots of potential, it’s fair to say nobody saw the season that he had coming. We have seen that Smith-Rowe can do it in the Premier League, and finding the right fit for him could see him have a similar impact to a club that Palmer had at Chelsea. The team needs to play positive football and it needs to be a team Arsenal fans won’t mind getting behind when he’s on the pitch! I would love to see ESR in a Brighton shirt. They have a great track of developing young players and whilst we don’t know who is going to be their manager next season, I am sure it’s someone who will play on the front foot. If Eze or Olise leave Crystal Palace this summer, I am sure ESR could also excel in one of the two number 10 roles behind the striker under Oliver Glasner.
How much should we get?
When looking at this, I looked at his peers from players he played with for England U21s. Three players I consider his peers are, Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Gibbs-White. All of these players were sold for between £40-45 million. Unlike some of our other squad players, our number 10s wages are still relatively low at a reported £40k per week, so this could be a healthy sale, which again is pure profit on the books. Do I think we will get that much for him? Given our track record, probably not, but maybe £30-35 million is what we should look to receive for an ESR sale.
Should we replace him?
With his lack of minutes, there’s not a massive need to replace him with an incoming signing. It’s likely only one of Emile Smith-Rowe and Fabio Vieira is moved on, and one is kept around in the squad. The value is higher for ESR and we are yet to get the best out of Fabio, so I would look to give the Portuguese midfielder one more year to prove himself. There’s also Ethan Nwaneri on the fringes of the first team squad, and if we want to keep the young superstar, it’s important he sees a pathway into the team, and a departure in this area could show him that pathway.
Thomas Partey inverting on the right (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
5. Thomas Partey
Why should he go?
Thomas has 1 year left on his current deal, and he is consistently unreliable with injuries. With Rice and Ødegaard nailed into our best XI, and Jorginho sticking around as a reliable squad player, that third midfield spot is a clear area for a potential marquee signing, and keeping Partey around may make that more challenging.
Where could he go?
#5 is on big big money, which obviously seriously reduces his suitors. Maybe he would be willing to accept a decrease in wages for a longer contract, but still it’s tough to find a clear buyer who will offer a decent enough transfer fee and offer him a suitable contract. He has been linked to Saudi, Turkey and Italy. Italy may sound like the best location for footballing reasons for the player, but least likely to be able to put up the finances required. On the other end of the spectrum, the Saudi Pro League may be able to put the money on the table, but the player may feel that at 30 years old, he still has something to offer in Europe. Turkey could be a happy medium here, as this keeps him in Europe and has been able to take high earners, such as Mauro Icardi, in recent years.
How much should we get?
A potential similar transfer from last year for comparison could be Jordan Henderson, who went to Saudi for around £12 million. Thomas Partey is a much better player than Henderson, but Henderson is much more readily available to play, so £10-12 million could be the last chance to get any money back from the player.
Should we replace him?
Absolutely. We saw in the run-in that Mikel’s favoured midfield was Partey, Rice and Ødegaard, if we want to go one step further next season and win the big trophies, we need a player as good as Partey, who can actually play every week. Could Bruno Guimarães be that player? Would Arsenal fans (and Jorginho) forgive him for that elbow?
- Fire Sale
For obvious reasons, I think all the players who have been away on loan this past year won’t be Arsenal players come the end of the transfer window. Kieran Tierney may have found a market in Spain, if no English clubs come calling. Albert Sambi Lokonga has already announced he will be leaving Arsenal this summer. Nuno Tavares, Charlie Patino, Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Mika Biereth will also be likely to forge a career elsewhere. Mike Biereth certainly had the most impressive loan spell away at Sturm Graz, and they’ve stated their desire to make the deal permanent. If Arsenal could make between £30-45 million pounds from 6 sales here, that would represent good business, and an added extra seeing as none of these players would need to be replaced.
Zinchenko lifting the crown v Burnley (Thanks to Stu Macfarlane/AFC/Getty)
- Who Else Could Go?
Oleksandr Zinchenko has had a very mixed time at Arsenal. His first season, he was lauded for dramatically changing the way we played with his inverting from LB, playing a major part in our surprise title challenge. His second season did not go the same way. Injury issues, lackadaisical mistakes, success with more defensive options, all built to tensions rising between him and the fans which somewhat came to a head in the home game against Aston Villa. Like him or hate him, he has a super power, the number of touches he has and the number of progressive passes he plays for a fullback is totally unique, and for some games, perhaps against weaker opponents, is perfect for the way we play. But will the player be happy being limited to these games, instead of being the undisputed first choice. With Arsenal rumoured to be interested in a LB, opportunities could be limited to Zinchenko. Could this open up the option for him to move into midfield like he plays for his country. I’d be fairly happy for the player to decide whether he wants to stay and fight for a place in the squad, or look to be first choice elsewhere, and if he chooses the latter, if we could recoup most, if not all of the £30 million spent on him, I am sure we would reinvest it wisely on a new left back.
It feels very strange, that the two players we got from City last year, who played a major part in taking us into the title scene, may have seen the team outgrow them already! Gabriel Jesus was quoted as the player who “changed our world” at the start of last season, but repetitive knee issues and other players stepping up has seen him take a back seat. Would I sell him? Ideally, no. Jesus is not one of those heading off to play in the Copa America, which gives him the summer to get fully healthy, and back to the level he was at when he first arrived. If a club was willing to allow us to make a profit on the player, something upwards of £50 million or so, I would for sure come to the table, but this is unlikely, with the ongoing injury concerns and his high wages. A full pre-season with the team whilst others are off with their countries gives him the perfect chance to remind us of just how good he can be.
Jakub Kiwior is an interesting case. It appeared he was struggling to adapt, struggling for game time, and had suitors back in Italy, such as AC Milan. Then, he found himself in the team, contributing to the best defence in the Premier League. Again, I would look to keep the player, unless the chance to profit became available. We paid £22 million, so if a bid of £30 million or higher came in, it should be considered, but he would need to be replaced. Talks of Jorrel Hato won’t go away, so maybe we are already preparing for this eventuality.
Credit: Arsenal.com
- Surprise Sale?
If Arsenal were to lose someone totally unexpected, I would make the case for Leandro Trossard. It’s likely that his value will never be higher given the season he has just had scoring 17 goals, and you can argue that the future of this Arsenal side is not with the Belgian wideman. He is 29 years old and if you look at what attribute Arsenal’s squad may need most, the answer could well be speed, something Trossard lacks. We have Gabriel Martinelli, who we will need back to his best next year, and Arsenal have had long interest in players such as Pedro Neto, as it can often be clear that more explosive pace is missed when Gabi isn’t playing. If our next season’s attacking numbers are Havertz, Saka, Martinelli, Jesus, Trossard, is there room for a new striker, like a Sesko, AND a new winger, like a Nico Williams? Probably not. If we want to bring in two players, and there’s no market for Jesus, we could potentially make a quick profit on Leo, as I’m sure there’s a Champions League level club in Europe willing to put down more than the £20 million we spent on him now he has proved himself at the highest level. This year he has scored goals against Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, which shows how valuable he is and although it would certainly be a risk to remove this output from the squad, sometimes you have to sell before you are ready, something Arsenal have failed to do in the past.
Who do you think Arsenal will lose this summer, and how much would you sell them for? Can you see us making a surprise sale? If so, who?
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£30-£35m for ESP feels very pie in the sky stuff. I’d say £20m is more realistic, given his lack of fitness and minutes
I would argue he has shown more in the league than those stated in the piece (Palmer, Gordon and MGW), at the time of sale, but the issues you mention will certainly bring the price down compared to them. His potential is still there, higher ceiling that Eddie for example, and he is still young, feel like performance based add-ons to get up to the 30mil would be possible as his upside for a team is massive, along with lower wages. For me, at £20 mil, I would rather a loan, which if went well the price would certainly go up.