Arsenal fans spot subtle Mikel Arteta transfer hint in matchday programme

03 August 2023 , 10:55

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Arsenal fans spot subtle Mikel Arteta transfer hint in matchday programme

Eagle-eyed Arsenal fans have noticed a clue regarding the Gunners transfer activity this summer on the back of the club's matchday programme.

Mikel Arteta's men welcomed Monaco to the Emirates for a pre-season friendly and supporters spotted the fact that all three of Nicolas Pepe, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares' names were omitted from the squad list on the back of the programme. None of the aforementioned trio are part of Arteta's plans moving forward and have all enjoyed loan spells away from the club recently.

Pepe spent last term with Ligue 1 outfit OGC Nice, where injuries curtailed what at one stage looked like it could have been a promising campaign. Arteta himself admitted he was hoping for more from the Ivory Coast international.

"He had a spell on loan and obviously we wanted to get much more than we got from that loan spell," the Arsenal boss explained. "We have to see when we come back, understand what the plans are and make the right decision for him."

The winger has also addressed the speculation surrounding his future and confessed: "I don’t know [about my future] yet. When I get back, I’ll speak with the coach and everyone and see what everyone’s ideas are and then we’ll make a decision."

Mikel Arteta's dream Arsenal line up as last-gasp January transfers are secured

Pepe is thought to be on the verge of penning a deal with Turkish giants Besiktas and could be willing to terminate his Arsenal contract to do so.

Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares and Nicolas Pepe are all expected to leave Arsenal this summer

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It is a similar situation for Albert Sambi Lokonga, who underwhelmed during his loan stint with Crystal Palace during the second half of last season. After being heralded as the "new Yaya Toure" by former Anderlecht boss Vincent Kompany, the Belgian midfielder has failed to live up to expectation at the Emirates.

As a result, he could now reunite with Kompany at Burnley. The Clarets are keen on taking Lokonga on loan for the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign and are close to completing such a deal, hence his absence on the Arsenal programme.

Tavares actually had a more successful stint away than the other two, playing regularly for Marseille and contributing with a significant number of goals for a left-back. And yet, he probably stands the least amount of chance of reviving his Arsenal career.

There are a significant amount of players ahead of Tavares in the pecking order at the Emirates. All four of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney, Takehiro Tomiyasu and summer signing Jurrien Timber are more likely to be deployed at left-back.

Considering both Tomiyasu and Timber are traditionally right-backs, it is a damning indictment of how Arteta views Tavares that both of them are viewed as more suitable options on their opposite defensive flank.

Josh O'Brien