Mikel Arteta to boost Arsenal transfer kitty by selling £93m worth of talent
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has spent a fortune on new players... and now it's time to recuperate some of that cash.
Arteta's first signing of the summer was Kai Havertz, who arrived from Chelsea in a £65million deal. Next to arrive was Ajax defender Jurrien Timber after a £38.5m transfer was agreed, with Declan Rice then following from West Ham in a £105m switch.
That takes Arsenal's summer spending well beyond £200m. The Gunners have recuperated some of that money by selling Granit Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen for £21m, but it's likely another big name or two will leave the Emirates before the end of the window.
Here are three players who could quit Arteta's squad and add £93m to the club's transfer budget...
Rob Holding
Holding, 27, has played a supporting role at Arsenal since joining the club from Bolton seven years ago, making 98 Premier League appearances to date. But the arrivals of Jakub Kiwior in January and now Timber would suggest his time at the Emirates is up.
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As reported by the Daily Mail, Arsenal have rejected a £2m bid from Turkish club Besiktas for Holding. Yet that doesn't mean the defender, who has a year remaining on his contract, won't be sold this summer. He's valued at around £6.5m.
Folarin Balogun
Balogun, 22, will find it difficult to get into Arsenal's starting XI this coming season due to the arrival of Havertz - not to mention the presence of Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah and Leandro Trossard. Arteta has already hinted Balogun will be sold.
A number of clubs will interested in the United States international, who is rated at £51.5m, after he scored 22 goals during a loan spell at Reims last season. Inter Milan are believed to be one of those clubs after their talks with Romelu Lukaku broke down.
Kieran Tierney
Tierney's Arsenal future has looked in doubt since the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko a year ago. The Scotland international, 26, made just five Premier League starts last season and is likely to complete a transfer if Arteta can't offer him regular first-team football.
Who do you think Arsenal should sell this summer? Let us know in the comments below!
It's believed Arsenal want £35m for Tierney, who is a transfer target for Newcastle. The Gunners will not sell the left-back on the cheap because he still has three years left on his contract. Celtic are also keen on re-signing Tierney... but only on loan.
Ex-Scotland coach Peter Grant, who has worked with Tierney before, believes the player would be interested in a return to Parkhead. Tierney won eight trophies - including four Scottish Premiership titles - during his first spell with Celtic.
As quoted by the Daily Record, Grant told The Go Radio Football Show: "I look at Kieran Tierney and I think it will be a football decision and not a financial decision. That is the hope that you have. He's the type of player that would want to come back to Celtic."
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