7 players Arsenal could sell as Mikel Arteta looks to reduce his squad size | OneFootball

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Arsenal have been very active in the summer transfer window, but with time running out, the Gunners look set to turn their attention to outgoings rather than incomings.

Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and David Raya have all signed for the title hopeful side with Granit Xhaka being the only significant sale thus far in the window.

The Swiss midfielder left the Emirates to join Bayer Leverkusen in a move back to Germany - where he had previously spent time at Borussia Mönchengladbach - in a surprising deal due to his impressive form in 2022/23.

Matt Turner has also moved on to Nottingham Forest to make way for the incoming Raya from Brentford with the other players to leave being youth players.

Mikel Arteta finds himself in a situation where his squad is currently sat at the inflated size of 32 players, and the Spaniard is said to be keen to decrease this number significantly.

According to Football London, there have been occasions where some members of the squad have had to sit out of training drills as there are simply too many participants.

Seven players could be on the chopping block, with Arsenal said to be actively working on outgoing transfers ahead of the deadline, but who are these players?

Kieran Tierney

The Scotland international looks to have slipped even further down the pecking order after the aforementioned signing of Timber, who played the Community Shield and opening league game in the left-back position. The Dutchman did suffer a long-term injury in the Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest, but Tierney's chances of starting regular game still appear to be low.

Oleksandr Zinchenko is likely to be the first-choice in this position as he was last season when he took Tierney's starting spot in the team following joining from Manchester City. Newcastle were said to be looking at bringing the former Celtic defender to the club until a loan move for Lewis Hall put the brakes on their left-back search.

Albert Sambi Lokonga

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - APRIL 16: Mohamed Elyounoussi of Southampton is challenged by Albert Sambi Lokonga of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary's Stadium on April 16, 2022 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Lokonga will turn 24 in October and will be looking to get a lot more regular game time, whether that is in the Premier League or abroad. There is very little likelihood of the Belgian midfielder breaking into the Gunners' starting line-up any time soon especially after the signing of Rice. He did spend part of the 2022/23 season out on loan at Crystal Palace, but a permanent move did not materialise.

Being a player with experience in the league and at a big club in the form of Arsenal, there is likely to be clubs looking into the idea of signing the former Anderlecht man. While a loan move cannot be ruled out, a permanent deal is perhaps the best solution for all involved.

Nicolas Pepe

No one seems to know what is happening with Pepe with many possibly forgetting that he even still plays for the club. He did spend last season out on loan at French side, Nice, but has returned to England after a less-than-successful spell. It is clear that Arteta has no interest in finding a place in his squad for the Ivorian and a move away is an eventuality.

16 goals in 80 games in the Premier League has not been enough to see Pepe extend his time at the Emirates with Bukayo Saka now firmly ahead of him in the pecking order. At 28 years old, it is unlikely a huge fee will be received for the winger, especially when you factor in his lack of game time.

Rob Holding

In a somewhat harsh assessment of his individual performances, a huge section of the Arsenal fan base placed a lot of their failed title bid on the shoulders of the English centre-back. Granted, he was not an adequate replacement for the absent William Saliba, but Holding is a more than competent Premier League defender.

The 27-year-old is behind Saliba, Gabriel, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and Timber in the pecking order for the centre-back role meaning he will be limited to domestic cup performances at best. This is why a move makes sense for Holding as he could get regular games for a team lower down in the table, and could even surprise a few with his ability given the chance.

Folarin Balogun

It looked inevitable that Balogun would leave the club this summer after a hugely successful loan period in France last year. The striker bagged 21 Ligue 1 goals for Reims, and was expected to have multiple suitors ahead of the 2023/24 season. He switched the nation he represents at international level from England to the USA during the summer with Harry Kane a difficult player to get in the team past.

A similar issue at club level sees Balogun stuck behind Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah in Arteta's plans. He has been linked with several clubs, but the price tag placed on him appears to have put some potential suitors off so far.

Nuno Tavares

Recent reports suggest that Aston Villa could be set to make a swoop for the Portuguese full-back, with ex-Arsenal boss Unai Emery looking to bolster his ranks ahead of a season in Europe. A strong loan stint at Marseille last season, getting 39 appearances under his belt. As with Tierney, the 23-year-old will find it hard to find a way into the team with the congested nature of the left-back situation at the club.

Nottingham Forest looked set to be his next club, but a loan deal has fallen through. Villa could be the beneficiaries of that failed move as they look to bring someone in while Alex Moreno is out injured.

Cedric

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 21: Cedric Soares of Arsenal battles for possession with Lynden Gooch of Sunderland during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Arsenal and Sunderland at Emirates Stadium on December 21, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

The former Southampton right-back is bafflingly still under contract at the club, and has been training all summer with the intention of securing a move away. His loan at Fulham in the 2022/23 campaign was not very successful as he only turned out for the Cottagers on six occasions, with Kenny Tete firmly thought of as the first choice.

Cedric has been at the club since 2020, and has only ever been limited to being a backup right-back, and is now potentially fourth choice in this position due to the versatile nature of White and Timber.