Three players who could leave Arsenal if they fail to qualify for the Champions League

Arsenal are in the midst of a crisis. Current Arsenal manager Unai Emery has coached the team into the ground, leading them to the club’s worst league start since 1982. The sole reason the Spaniard was hired was to get Arsenal back into the Champions League, last season he failed and this season he looks set to do even worse. Currently, the Gunners sit eight points off the top 4 places, nine points behind Leicester City.

It’s imperative that the Gunners get Champions League football this season. Financially, they cannot afford to continue to lose millions of pounds in revenue for another season. On top of that, without UCL football it’ll become harder to attract players whilst simultaneously becoming more difficult to retain the current top players.

Here are 3 players who could leave Arsenal if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season.

#3 Lucas Torreira

Arsenal FC v Aston Villa - Premier League

Throughout last summer, the saga of Lucas Torreira dragged out. It was reported that the Arsenal midfielder was unhappy at the Emirates, seeking a move to AC Milan instead. We’re unsure of whether this eagerness to move was due to being unsettled in England or unhappiness at playing for Arsenal. Regardless, the rumours were out there, and they were strong. Fast forward to November 2019, another major Italian club is interested in the 23-year-old.

Napoli is lining up a move for the midfielder who has been played out of position all season long. Carlo Ancelotti’s men can offer Torreira Champions League football, something Unai Emery’s current regime cannot. And with the way things are going, it’s unlikely Arsenal will be playing in the UCL anytime soon.

#2 Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal FC v Crystal Palace - Premier League

If we’re honest, Alexandre Lacazette hasn’t been a very potent goalscorer Arsenal football club. In the Premier League, the Frenchman has only scored 29 goals in 74 games since arriving in the summer of 2017. And although that may not be the strike rate of an elite striker, the 28-year-old’s impact on the team in other departments, has been crucial. That’s why he’s also produced 16 PL assists in that time.

His influence has been noted by the club’s hierarchy who have in turn offered him a new long-term contract. An offer the 28-year-old hasn’t signed yet, with him seemingly looking to see if the Gunners can qualify for the UCL. As a player in his prime, Lacazette could still demand a sizeable fee in the transfer market. There are certainly several UCL clubs across Europe that would buy him in an instance.

#1 Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang

The Arsenal captain is in the prime of his career. At the age of 30, the forward is scoring for fun, firmly establishing himself as one of the best strikers in Europe. Across his senior career, Aubameyang has scored 246 goals in 482 appearances equating to a goal every 1.9 games. That’s a strike rate that makes him worthy of playing for any of Europe’s elites, but at the bare minimum, he should be playing Champions League football.

It’s well known that Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang has yet to put pen to paper on a new long-term deal with his current contract set to expire in a year and a half. At the moment, Arsenal Football Club isn’t the most attractive of places to be. The Gunners haven’t played in the UCL for three seasons, with the Europa League firmly becoming their home. If they once again fail to qualify for the UCL, Aubameyang will most probably be packing his bags in the summer.

Edited by S Chowdhury