Surprising no one, Oleksandr Zinchenko is now officially an Arsenal player.
The Ukrainian becomes their fifth signing this summer, ballooning their overall spend to over £100m as they try to put the finishing touches on the Mikel Arteta rebuild.
The Gunners have brought in five players in five different positions so far this summer. But since Arteta took charge of the club in December 2019, Arsenal have spent a whopping £399.4m on 19 new players. It's been a long journey.
Zinchenko is another piece of the puzzle in the club’s ambitious climb to the top once again. Arteta is clear on that.
“Our target at this club is to win competitions. It cannot be anything else than that, and the way we are building the squad is to achieve that. Today we are feeling precision. The window is not closed. The squad is not closed,” the manager said after Arsenal’s 3-1 win against Orlando.
Although Zinchenko is a great addition, there’s a sense that more is needed for Arsenal to compete for the biggest trophies.
And in the same interview, Arteta hinted at the next step in Arsenal’s summer transfer plans.
"We have to make some decisions"
“We have a large squad, so we have to make some decisions on the players that we're not going to be using consistently and be fair and straight with them, and that's a process that's going to start very soon, as well,” he said.
Indeed, Arsenal’s squad is bloated with 33 first team players. So far only Alexandre Lacazette, Matteo Guendouzi and Konstantinos Mavropanos have left the club. All decision made before the transfer window had started.
Arteta has said he ideally wants 22 outfield players and three goalies. The Gunners currently have 33 first team players, including Charlie Patino and five goalkeepers.
Edu will be a busy man in the remaining six weeks of the transfer window as they now offload their superfluous players.
Their departures will generate much needed relief to the wage bill, as well as fees and openings in the squad for new arrivals.
But first let's stick to the plan.
Who do you think will leave?
Bernd Leno: The 30-year-old was sidelined not long after Aaron Ramsdale arrived a year ago. Even though he travelled with the squad to the U.S, he hasn’t played in any of their three friendlies so far. New signing Matt Turner has played two of three games. Reports say Fulham are keen on the German.
Alex Runarsson: The Iceland national goalkeeper hasn’t enjoyed much of the spotlight while at Arsenal. His 16 minutes of fame came when Leno was sent off against Wolves in February 2021, before being sent on loan to Belgium. Behind Ramsdale, Matt Turner, Leno and perhaps Arthur Okonkwo in the pecking order, his departure seems imminent.
Hector Bellerin: A sad story really. Bellerin joined Arsenal at 16 and now, eleven years later, Arsenal and Arteta want a new, inverted profile for the right-back position. Enter Takehiro Tomiyasu, exit Heccy B?
Pablo Mari: Although he’s a left-footed centre-back, a profile Arsenal want as only Gabriel suits that role at the moment, the Spaniard will likely be offered away this summer. But considering The Gunners only have four centre-backs after their attempt at recruiting Lisandro Martinez failed, he might stay if Edu can't find a replacement.
Nuno Tavares: The energetic left-back with the wayward shot is linked with a loan move away, perhaps to Brighton, who might sell Marc Cucurella to Man City, who sold Zinchenko to Arsenal. See how that works? With a long season ahead and an injury-prone Kieran Tierney, however, he could stay too.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles: It’s always sad when a Hale Ender leaves the club. Although not a certain thing, he might be cut to bring in extra cash for a new midfielder. Youri Tielemans?
Lucas Torreira: Similar situation as Maitland-Niles, really: a midfielder who was loaned out last season and a player used in a different rebuild. Torreira, like Leno, hasn’t played a single minute this pre-season. Departure imminent.
Granit Xhaka: A staple in the Arsenal team since Arséne Wenger's time and trusted by every manager including Arteta. But if Arteta and co want an upgrade to their left-sided midfielder there might be a chance the Swiss international leaves after six years at the club.
Nicolas Pepe: The £72m man has not made the impact many thought he would at Arsenal. After three full seasons in London, every one is left disappointed. The winger’s last start was in December 2021 and he’s become a shadow backup to Bukayo Saka. Moving the Ivorian off the books will be difficult, however, as his wages are huge and his form is dire. Arsenal will also want to recoup as much as possible of that £72m fee they bought him for.
Reiss Nelson: The 22-year-old is a wild card this summer. He’s a talented, home-grown winger but could struggle to surpass Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe who've grown into the Arteta rebuild. After a successful loan spell at Feyenoord he might stay as a backup.
Marquinhos: A decision will have to be made on the newly signed Brazilian: keep him at the club for him to settle in or find him a loan so he can play. Tough one.
Florian Balogun: After Eddie Nketiah’s contract extension and Gabriel Jesus’ arrival, the 21-year-old will surely be on his way out on loan to develop. A no-brainer.
It’ll be a long summer for the Gunners, and especially Edu. New signings might have to wait for now.