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Arsenal have been one of the busier clubs in terms of transfer activity this summer, having been linked to a pool of players from parts of Europe. However, the Gunners are yet to beef up their first team squad or enhance their chances of competing for the top 4.
Wingers such as Lucas Vasquez and most notably Wilfried Zaha have been heavily mooted with a transfer to the Emirates, but due to lack of substantial funds in this ever-increasing transfer market and a large wage bill coupled with no Champions League action, the hierarchy at Arsenal is caught up in a maze.
They could however, snap up players if they let go of their own men who haven't been up to the mark in recent seasons, or are supposedly surplus to requirements.
On that note, we analyze three players Arsenal must unload before the transfer window closes.
Also See : La Liga Transfer News, EPL Transfer News, Manchester united Transfer News.
#3 Calum Chambers
Once regarded as the next 'towering defender' of English football, Calum Chambers has almost turned into a forgotten man due to injuries and recent debacles with the recently relegated Fulham side that leaked goals for fun.
He made the switch from Southampton to Arsenal in 2014 after having drawn a host of plaudits for his eye-catching, fearless defending for the Saints. An England call-up soon happened as well, but since then, it's all been down-slope for the 24-year-old.
Chambers is highly talented, but can be considered as a shabby defender at times. He won the Fulham Player of the Year accolade last season, but not for his services across the back line, but in midfield.
The youngster still has a lot of scope for improvement in terms of the positional aspect of his game, concentration and consistency. It doesn't seem like he is ready yet to be a part of Arsenal, or any other top 6 side for that matter.
With each point on the line in the Premier League due to fierce competition, Chambers is not the defender one would trust to chip in with performances week-in-week-out.
Perhaps, for the quality he possesses and the fact that his Arsenal career has undergone a stop-start pattern, it's best for Chambers to look elsewhere for a fresher beginning.
#2 Mohamed Elneny
Another player who hasn't quite cemented his spot in the Arsenal side since joining, Mohamed Elneny is another option for the Gunners to recap funds in order to boost their possible incoming transfers.
The Egyptian, known for his discipline and calming presence at the heart of midfield, signed for the North London club from FC Basel during Arsene Wenger's tenure. He took a while to be drafted into the side, but never really made that defensive midfielder's position his own.
Consequentially, the 27-year-old has amassed just 46 appearances in the Premier League since January 2016.
Elneny often struggles to read the pace of play in the league, a shortcoming of his game that is seen when the opposition breaks quickly. Although tidy defensively, Elneny offers little or nothing going forward, and also lacks the creative edge with his passing.
With a host of midfielders in their ranks and to free up spaces, the midfielder must leave Arsenal. Not to mention, that would also help him receive regular football elsewhere.
#1 Henrikh Mkhitaryan
This name might strike a few by surprise, but if analyzed vigilantly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a part of the deadwood present in the Arsenal squad. A shame it is indeed, for a professional of his calibre and quality to be on this dishonourable list.
The Armenian started his career in English football at Old Trafford amid major hype, owing to his promising show in the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund. Mkhitaryan showed us exactly what was expected of him, racking up assists, gelling the play between wider men, occupying threatening areas in the opposition box and tirelessly working his way through.
But soon, his form took a drastic hit. Not only was he dropped from the playing XI, but also swapped for Alexis Sanchez in a two-way deal. Speaking on the playmaker, former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho frankly conceded:
"I was not happy with his last performances. And I am not talking about one or two. I am talking about three, four or five. He started this season very well and after that, step by step, he was disappearing.
His performance level – in terms of goal-scoring, assists, high pressing, receiving the ball high up the pitch, bringing the team with him as a number 10 – were decreasing step by step."
Well, the Portuguese mastermind seemed to have summed up and portrayed Mkhitaryan's last couple of seasons in a nutshell.
The 30-year-old appears to have past his prime, as even in the pre-season friendlies thus far, Mkhitaryan has lacked sharpness, incisiveness and innovation. Given how he has repeatedly struggled, Arsenal might be wise to offload him as quickly as possible.
