New broom set to sweep clean at the Gunners
Danny Welbeck and David Ospina are the two highest-profile Arsenal players who will return from the World Cup facing uncertain futures.
The club are focused on trimming the squad after completing their main incoming transfer business.
New coach Unai Emery has spent around £70-million (R1.2-billion) on five senior signings who are aimed at adding defensive resilience to the team he inherited from Arsene Wenger.
The arrival of goalkeeper Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen means that a senior keeper is likely to leave, and the expectation is that it will be Colombia number one Ospina rather than Petr Cech.
Welbeck is also in the final year of his contract and, having been part of England’s World Cup squad, the striker is facing a struggle for selection.
Arsenal played their first preseason match on Saturday against Borehamwood, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Henrikh Mkhitaryan all scoring – and Mesut Ozil will be ready to return in time for the tour to Singapore.
Welbeck has scored 27 goals across four years at Arsenal but after being disrupted previously by a knee injury he played 43 games last season.
Like Welbeck, Aaron Ramsey is out of contact next summer but Arsenal have made a big effort to persuade the Welshman to sign a new five-year contract, and Emery regards him a central figure in his team. There is optimism that he will extend his stay at the club.
Despite bringing in Stephan Lichtsteiner, Arsenal are also determined to keep right-back Hector Bellerin, who has a contract until 2023 but was keen on moving to Barcelona.
Other obvious potential sales are Lucas Perez, Carl Jenkinson, Chuba Akpom and Joel Campbell. Perez and Jenkinson featured in the 8-0 win against Borehamwood, as did many younger players, including Reiss Nelson, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe, Jordi Osei-Tutu and Joe Willock.
Emery is in the process of deciding which of these players will remain with his first-team squad.—