5 players Arsenal should sell this summer

Since the departure of Arsene Wenger and the arrival of his replacement, Unai Emery, Arsenal have undergone quite the transformation. Their style of play has become a lot more attacking and the chemistry between the players has been boosted, so why do they still struggle?

Arsenal is currently in fifth place on the Premier League table with 60 points. The Gunners have been a side ridiculed for their consistent fourth place finishes every year, despite the fact they have the potential to challenge for the league title under a strong manager.

There is no reason why a club with the stature and clout of Arsenal can't compete for the title nowadays, especially when you look through their team of superstars. However, there are several players who are clearly dead weight and surplus to requirements. If Emery wants to splash big in the summer to bolster his squad, getting rid of these players will help put some cash towards that aim.

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#5 Danny Welbeck

His contract is set to expire in the summer

Injury-prone, error-prone, and generally too poor for the current Arsenal squad, Danny Welbeck's career has been on a gradual decline for many years now. His contract is set to expire in the summer, but with there still being a chance of him being offered a year's extension, many fans-turned-critics will be eager to see his name on this list.

When Arsenal signed him from Manchester United back in 2014, they were expecting a youthful, energetic striker, to lead them from the front. Instead, what they got was a clumsy, long-legged forward who failed as miserably as he had at Old Trafford.

Ever since that time, Welbeck has been utilised as a back-up option, being substituted onto the pitch late on to try and salvage a point in the dying embers of a match. More often than not, though, he fails to make much of an impact and the game ends with Arsenal, yet again, feeling as if an opportunity has been wasted.

As of writing, Welbeck is currently out with yet another injury. Will he finally be excluded from Arsenal's squad selection next year, or will he miraculously return with a new extended contract?

#4 Rob Holding

The games he has been involved in have been nothing special

Rob Holding is one of many youth prospects Arsenal have had who have failed to make the cut. Although he spent much of the season out with a knee injury, the games he has been involved in have been nothing special, which has prompted fans to wonder if the team perhaps needs a world-class player in that role now.

With a market value of around £10 million, Holding would be ideal for a club in the Premier League, but, realistically, a team in the bottom half. This is exactly why fans are so frustrated with their club; the longer they have players of Holding's calibre in the first team, the longer they'll struggle to surpass the fourth position each year.

How he's still on the books at Arsenal is a question that dumbfounds most people, but the Gunners seem desperate to see out Holding's time at the club, hoping that one day he'll realise the potential they always thought he had -- they could be waiting for some time, however.

#3 Laurent Koscielny

It's clear for virtually everybody now that the Frenchman is surplus to requirements

Once a rock at the back for Arsenal, Koscielny is now 33 years old and hampered by sporadic bouts of injury, perhaps due to his age combined with the sheer speed and force of the Premier League.

Koscielny has only featured in 12 matches for Arsenal this season, with only 32 per cent of those being a match in which he's started. It's clear for virtually everybody now that the Frenchman is surplus to requirements at Arsenal, and if they really had respect for him, they would let him go now, instead of encouraging him to stick around another year and embarrass himself further.

Where might Koscielny go? Well, he could possibly favour a return to one of his old clubs in France, as it's unlikely he'll be taken on by a top European club in his current state. He could even make the shock decision to retire early, which makes sense when you consider how often his legs give out on him.

#2 Carl Jenkinson

Like Rob Holding, Carl Jenkinson was another youth prospect that Arsenal held closely to their chests, eager to see him fulfil his potential. But that day never came, and after failed loan spells with West Ham and Birmingham, Jenkinson is merely biding his time now until his release.

Jenkinson's contract is set to expire by the summer, but in case Arsenal decides to trigger a one-year extension clause, he's been added to this list as an obvious choice to be sold. They could still get around £5 million for the 27-year-old if they were to sell him, which is better than nothing.

He will likely end up at a championship side, but still not as a permanent fixture in the first team squad; he's more likely to be a backup option, especially for clubs in the top half.

#1 Mohamed Elneny

Elneny is another player on this list who failed to realise his potential. He was signed from FC Basel in January 2016 for around £11 million, but, as indicated by his market value which has dropped to around £9 million, he hasn't lived up to the expectations.

Elneny has featured just four times this season for Arsenal. He's considered by many fans to be a liability, and whenever he's announced in the team sheet, a sense of nihilism wafts over the fanbase.

It would be better for the Gunners to offload him in the summer and put some of that £9-10 million towards a player who could actually be relied upon to do well in his role. There are many hot prospects in European football right now that go for even less than £10 million, so they should search there if Elneny is sold.