Arsenal will need to sell a number of players this summer if they are to make any transformative additions to their squad.
It was reported before the Europa League final that, should the Gunners fail to secure Champions League football, their budget would be limited to just £40m.
The club's owners remain committed to a self-sustaining business model, and so much of Unai Emery's spending power will be derived from the sale of those deemed surplus to requirements.
Shrewd business is the key to the success for Arsenal, but this time they will go into the window without transfer mastermind Sven Mislintat, who left in February.
But take five non-integral players and combine their values (estimated by the CIES Football Observatory), and suddenly you could have the funds for two top-level additions.
Shkodran Mustafi
Estimated value: £26m-£37m
Very few Arsenal fans would object to the departure of Mustafi, who has faced almost universal condemnation for his erratic performances in a struggling back line.
The German has failed to inspire any confidence and has become emblematic of the club's debilitating defensive woes last season.
Arsenal will need to sign a new centre-back this summer, with their current crop largely ageing or inadequate, and the sale of Mustafi would significantly boost their financial clout.
Indeed, with Getafe's highly-rated Djene Dakonam, previously linked with a move to The Emirates, available for around £30million, it would make a great deal of sense.
Whilst Mustafi appears keen to remain at Arsenal, having labelled speculation linking him a move away last month "odd" he would likely leave if presented with the prospect of very limited minutes.
Inter Milan pursued the 27-year-old last summer, and their rivals AC Milan have expressed interest this year.
Calum Chambers
Estimated value: £18m-£27m
Chambers has spent two of the last three seasons out on loan, registering 31 appearances for relegated Fulham last term.
His relatively high value might raise one or two eyebrows, but he is only 24 years old and earned plaudits in a side who proved largely incapable of competing in the top division.
Chambers adapted well to an unfamiliar defensive midfield role and was praised for maintaining the level of dedication absent from some of his team-mates.
Ordinarily, the impressive Englishman would likely be retained, but Arsenal find themselves in difficult circumstances and may feel compelled to invite offers for a player who is ultimately unlikely to prove a genuine difference-maker.
He signed a new four-year deal before the temporary switch to Craven Cottage, and that will inflate his value nicely.
Mohamed Elneny
Estimated value: £6m-£9m
Suggesting that Elneny be sold is less controversial. He made only eight appearances in the league last season and, with Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi all ahead of him in the midfield pecking order, he is far from a key player.
It shouldn't be particularly difficult to arrange a move. Elneny will surely realise that opportunities are limited under Emery and with just shy of 90 appearances for a top side under his belt, there will be interest.
'Depth' players like Elneny really ought to be succeeded by academy products.
David Ospina
Estimated value: £6m-£9m
Ospina could compete with Petr Cech, but it seems Bernd Leno now has the number one spot nailed down.
It's time, then, for the Colombian, who spent last season on loan at Napoli, to leave permanently.
Whether or not he returns to the Stadio San Paolo, there should be an ample amount of suitors for an international 'keeper who notched eight clean sheets across his 24 appearances in 2018/19.
Leno's deputy ought to be either a promotion from within or a cheap acquisition.
Carl Jenkinson
Estimated value: £2m-£3.5m
Jenkinson has been with Arsenal for eight years now, but has found himself out-of-favour since 2014, when he joined West Ham United on loan.
He always seems to stay put, but it's clear that, at the age of 27, he needs to leave to avoid wasting some of the better years of the career.
The CIES estimation may be a little conservative here and though this sale would have little demonstrable impact, the harsh reality is that Arsenal need all the funds they can get.
Potential impact
Based on the sums suggested, Arsenal could generate up to £85million from selling players who, broadly, have little to offer.
There may be question marks over the precision of certain valuations, but the conclusion is not up for debate: the Gunners could bring in a couple of top players by clearing the deadweight.
Much of the speculation will surround bigger names. Henrikh Mkhitaryan has disappointed thus far but represents a scarce wide option in the squad, while Mesut Ozil would fetch a greater fee than his performances merit but wages would prove an insurmountable obstacle in any deal.
Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, the players who ensure Arsenal remain competitive, must be retained at all costs.
Arsenal amassed a meagre £6million from departures last year, a figure they will have to ruthlessly boost if they are to avoid falling even further away from the sharp end.
The profound concern for supporters, though, is whether those currently in charge of their dealings are capable of delivering.