Gunners boss told he must offload players before he can buy

MIKEL ARTETA must sell before he can buy this summer as he tries to rebuild his Arsenal squad.

That explains his very pointed post-match comments after beating Liverpool – about not having money to spend this summer and saying the uncertainty was a “big concern”.

It comes on the back of the club facing the prospect of missing out on a Champions League place for a fourth year running.

And if they miss out on the Europa League, that would cost £30million in lost revenue.

So the Gunners are facing up to the prospect of Arteta having to generate any transfer cash through sales.

He can put any savings into new contracts, but no fresh money is expected to be available.

The Arsenal boss knew he was signing up to a big rebuilding job when he took over last December, but the club’s financial position has been made even worse by the coronavirus crisis – on top of an early exit from the Europa League.

They are the only Premier League to ask players to take a pay cut.

That highlights just how hard they have been hit financially – especially as the 60,000-seater Emirates is massive in terms of gate revenue – with games now behind closed doors.

Arsenal want to sell Matteo Guendouzi after he fell out of favour.

But Mesut Ozil – on £350,000 a week – simply will not leave, with a year left, even after being given the cold shoulder since the restart.

At least he is training now and could be in the squad for tomorrow’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City.

The Gunners also face a major dilemma with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has a year left on his contract.

Talks are ongoing, but, at 31, he wants a big new deal and they can’t face another ticking time bomb, as with Ozil.

Arteta warned on Wednesday that the win over Liverpool proved little as the gap between the two squads was “enormous”.

He knows his task is a huge rebuilding job, which will take time to turn the club’s fortunes around.