Gunners to Goners

Six on the list as Wenger plans major Arsenal clear-out

Arsene Wenger is planning a major Arsenal clear-out and wants to offload six players from his squad in the next few weeks. Lukas Podolski, David Ospina, Joel Campbell, Yaya Sanogo, Mathieu Flamini and Carl Jenkinson are all surplus to requirements at the Emirates. And Wenger will not stand in the way of their departures as he looks to trim his first-team group for a concerted assault on the English Premier League title.

LONDON: Arsene Wenger is planning a major Arsenal clear-out and wants to offload six players from his squad in the next few weeks.

Lukas Podolski, David Ospina, Joel Campbell, Yaya Sanogo, Mathieu Flamini and Carl Jenkinson are all surplus to requirements at the Emirates.

And Wenger will not stand in the way of their departures as he looks to trim his first-team group for a concerted assault on the Premier League title.

First out of the door will be German World Cup winner Podolski, who is already in talks with Turkish champions Galatasaray over a cut-price £1.5mil (RM9mil) move.

The 30-year-old striker has just returned from a miserable loan spell at Inter Milan and still has a year of his £100,000 (RM591,000)-aweek contract to run.

But he knows he does not figure in Wenger’s plans and is ready to move on if he can get somewhere in the region of £75,000 (RM443,000)a-week from Galatasaray.

Goalkeeper Ospina is also mulling over a move to Turkey following the signing of £10mil (RM59mil) Petr Cech this week.

The Colombian international failed to convince after replacing Wojciech Szczesny last season and does not want to go back to sitting on the bench.

Besiktas have already offered £4mil (RM24mil) for a player who cost Arsenal £3.2mil (RM19mil) when they signed him from Nice last summer and Ospina is expected to complete a move in the next few weeks.

Like Podolski, striker Sanogo and winger Campbell have also returned from unsuccessful loan spells but will not feature in Wenger’s 25-man squad and will be sold for a cutprice fee. Jenkinson’s future is not quite so clear-cut as Wenger would prefer to loan out the England international defender for another year rather than sell him immediately.

The fullback has already rejected the chance to spend the season at Sunderland while both West Ham and Southampton have baulked at Arsenal’s demands for a £2mil (RM12mil) loan fee.

But with Hector Bellerin, Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers all vying for the rightback’s position, Jenkinson knows he will have to find another club this summer.

West Ham are still hoping to sign him on a permanent basis and believe Arsenal will eventually agree to sell for £7mil (RM41mil).

Flamini, 31, has vowed to stay and fight for his place at the Emirates but will be allowed to leave for a nominal £1mil (RM6mil) fee. — The Sun, London