“They’re not good enough to play for us”: Mikel Arteta told Arsenal board to sell these players in January
Despite a great start to the season that has seen them top the Premier League table, beat their four top competitors and only lose one of their first 13 games in the Premier League, it’s strange that many don’t see Arsenal as a major threat.
Sure, they still have a great chance of winning their first Premier League title in 20 years, but they don’t see them as dangerous as they were last season. It is not clear if this is due to a mistake at the end of the season, but it is true that this campaign is shaping up to be an even closer match – a match that could go down to the wire.
This means the Gunners need to strengthen their ranks in the second half of the season to have the best chance of coming out on top by the end of May. With injury problems plaguing them early in the season, it is clear where they can improve their squad.
But manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu will have to start raising money for the stars they want to bring in, which means they will have to give up others. With that in mind, here are four stars who could leave the Emirates Stadium during the January transfer window…
Aaron Ramsdale
Following the loan of David Ray from Brentford, Arteta has refused to publicly announce his plans for Ramsdale – a move that has been heavily questioned by fans and media alike. Despite having the best year of his career last year, where he also made a number of appearances for England, it remains a mystery why the Gunners boss was so desperate to have two No. 1 goalkeepers.
Even after keeping the clean sheet against the Bees in November, Arteta, when asked if he was happy with Ramsdale for keeping the clean sheet, was quick to put the star in his place, writing that it was a team performance. He told TNT Sports: “Ramsal was very happy: ‘I’m very happy with the way the team played, I’m really happy with the zero. I think the team was outstanding.”
It would not be surprising if the star player left the Emirates Stadium quickly if his minutes do not increase before the window opens, as teams across Europe are no doubt monitoring the situation. Having arrived from Sheffield United for £24 million, it is not difficult to conclude that Arsenal will not want to let him go at a loss, so they will probably get a decent price for him.
Thomas Partey
Partey, who has only made five appearances in all competitions this season, could be sold for around £30 million in January to raise money for the war chest as the Gunners look to strengthen Arteta’s squad for the second half of the season.
Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz, whose superb performances this season have taken Unai Emery’s team into the top four, is already being considered as a possible replacement. The 25-year-old has established himself as one of the first names in the Villa squad and has already scored five goals and provided two assists in the league.
Kieran Tierney
Despite a recent hamstring injury that prevented his participation at Real Sociedad, the Scottish international has impressed in La Liga. With good performances against Granada CF and Valencia, the star has received praise for his play in Spain, but could return to Scotland in the near future.
Reports suggest that a deal could be done to send him back to childhood club Celtic, where the star arrived for £25 million from the Scottish champions in 2019. With his loan expiring at the end of the season, it is possible he will leave the club early due to injury.
Jorginho
Having struggled to establish himself after leaving Chelsea under Mikel Arteta, midfielder Jorginho could leave the Gunners in January. The club are expected to make a bid for the star to Turkish side Fenerbahce during the winter, as he has often been left on the bench due to the signing of Declan Rice.
Although the veteran has a one-year extension option in his contract, which expires this summer, it is possible that he could move this summer or much earlier this winter if the right offer comes in.
