Five Arsenal stars may never play for club again as Mikel Arteta makes feelings clear that it’s OVER FOR THEM
Five Arsenal stars may already have played their final game for the club, with Mikel Arteta’s recent selection habits and transfer decisions sending a clear message. Here, Express Sport takes a look at the quintet who could be bound for the Emirates Stadium exit door this summer without getting so much as a farewell in the meantime…
Mohamed Elneny
The Egyptian has notched fewer than 100 minutes of first-team football across the whole season. It’s therefore no surprise that Arsenal have opted not to renew his contract, which expires on June 30.
Having signed from FC Basel in 2016, Elneny is the Gunners’ longest-serving player. But having failed to make a single Premier League matchday squad since February, the midfielder’s time in north London looks set to end with a whimper.
Cedric Soares
Elneny has been feeding off scraps, and out-of-favour full-back Cedric hasn’t fared much better. Reports indicate that Arsenal have decided to part ways with the 32-year-old when his contract expires in June, although the fact Arteta has only started him once all campaign made that virtually certain. The chances of the Portuguese featuring during a tense Premier League run-in are slim to none.
Kieran Tierney
There appears to be no way back for the Scottish international, who has spent this season on loan at Real Sociedad. Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu provide more than enough cover at left-back, leaving Tierney surplus to requirements.
Arteta made his feelings clear in January by opting not to recall the 26-year-old even when he was caught short. And Tierney himself hardly seemed keen on returning, as he said: “Several people have already asked me if I was going to return to Arsenal now and the answer is no. I’m going to stay here for sure. As for staying here longer, the decision is not mine. But the only thing I can say is that I love playing for Real. And I’m enjoying it very much.”
Nuno Tavares
As a fellow left-back, the same principles which may consign Tierney to an Emirates exit could put Tavares on a path to the same fate. The 24-year-old has been starved of game time on loan at Nottingham Forest this season, strongly suggesting he doesn’t have a future in the Arsenal first team.
Even so, there should be no shortage of interest this summer after Tavares’ impressive spell at Marseille last season. While out in France, the player took a sly pop at Arteta and the Gunners. “It’s always different when a club and a coach trusts you, bets on you,” he said. “When signing with OM, I wanted to have an option to buy, but Arsenal refused. With my agents, we always wanted this purchase option, but Arsenal didn’t. At Arsenal, I would have probably only played in the cup.”
Fabio Vieira
Arteta admitted earlier this season that he ‘has not played Vieira enough’, and minutes have only got harder to come by for the ex-Porto midfielder since then. The £34million man seemed destined for big things during his rise through the ranks in Portugal, but he has only managed two Premier League starts this term.
With Arsenal excelling in his absence, Vieira may be forced to seek out opportunities elsewhere this summer, and it is not guaranteed that he will see another minute of action in which to bid farewell.
