Arsenal have come a long way in recent years as they’ve complete rebuilt the side, with the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez a vast improvement on Gervinho and co.
The deadwood has, for the most part, been completely offloaded and the Gooners in the Transfer Tavern believe there’s just a few more to chuck into the wood-chipper this summer, before the Gunners will boast a squad breaming with talent that doesn’t also have some questionable figures.
Unlike Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, who are in need of an expensive overhaul, the Gunners seem just a few players short of having a perfect line-up and they have a few players that are simply not useful anymore that must be moved on.
Even for a manager like Arsene Wenger, who can be frustratingly quiet during transfer windows, the task at hand is nothing too difficult and he should be able to oversee this final stage of transition this summer.
Our Gooners believe that too and whilst they want a few new faces, they’ve made it clear these five players need to be shown the exit door.
Hit Wenger below to see FIVE players he must offload this summer!
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Mathieu Flamini
The French midfielder has become a frustrating figure for Arsenal fans to watch, with his latest shortcoming being conceding a penalty just 37 seconds after his introduction against Barcelona. Everyone makes mistakes but with Flamini it’s getting too much to bare.
A holding midfielder by trade, Flamini seems to have forgotten his role in the team and often goes walkabout. He also has a reputation of diving in and gets yellow cards like they’re a collectible figure, making him a liability.
With his contract due to expire this summer, Flamini isn’t expected to be offered a fresh deal and he will be on the way out.
Tomas Rosicky
Another veteran midfielder likely to leave upon the expiration of his contract this summer is Tomas Rosicky. Unfortunately for the long-serving Czech midfielder, injuries have got the better of him in the twilight years of his career and he doesn’t seem able to get things back on track.
Sidelined yet again, after picking up another injury on the first game of his return earlier this year, it’s unlikely that Rosicky will ever feature for the Gunners again- which is a sad end for such a talented player, who gave his best years to the club.
David Ospina
The Colombian goalkeeper was a admirable performer last season, taking the first team jersey from Wojciech Szczesny for the second-half of the season, but he’s been ousted after Petr Cech’s signing.
He’s too good a goalkeeper to just be a back-up and he’s also lost the confidence of the fans, after abysmal performances in the opening two games of the Champions League campaign- which resulted in two defeats that the Gunners almost never bounced back from.
An experienced stopper, there’s likely to be a wealth of suitors for Ospina’s signature.
Mathieu Debuchy
It’s never quite happened for Mathieu Debuchy at Arsenal, as his first season at the club was marred by injury and that absence allowed Hector Bellerin to rise into the first-team picture. The Spaniard seems there to stay and, as such, Debuchy is on his way out.
He joined Bordeaux on-loan during the January transfer window and publicly stated his frustration that Arsene Wenger, rather understandably, didn’t allow the French international to join Premier League rivals Manchester United.
His decision to go public may just have burned the last plank on the bridge with Arsenal, so an exit is extremely likely this summer.
Mikel Arteta
Unlike the others on this list, Mikel Arteta is likely to remain at Arsenal beyond this summer but he’s probably going to hang-up his playing boots. The former Everton and Rangers midfielder has given five good years of service to Arsenal, some of those as captain, and has always been mature.
He’s already started coaching with the Gunners youth ranks during his injury absence and he’s expected to take a similar role full-time beyond the end of his contract. However, if he does fancy a few more years as a player he could find potential suitors in his homeland.
