Five Arsenal stars have been training away from the first team as Mikel Arteta looks to trim his squad ahead of the transfer deadline next Friday, it has emerged.
Speaking ahead of the new season, the Gunners boss admitted that his squad was ‘unsustainable’, but since that time just two first team players have left, with USMNT duo Matt Turner and Auston Trusty joining Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United respectively.
It means that there is plenty still to be done in north London, and the five most likely candidates for departure were made clear ahead of this Saturday’s clash with Fulham.
As per Sky Sports, all of Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, Nuno Tavares, Folarin Balogun and Sambi Lokonga were seen training away from the main group, with all five thought to be in the shop window between now and the transfer deadline.
🚨| Kieran Tierney, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, Folarin Balogun and Rob Holding did NOT train with the rest of the Arsenal squad today.
They all trained separately…
— Connor Humm (@TikiTakaConnor) August 24, 2023
Meanwhile, Nicolas Pepe and Cedric Soares were not spotted at all, suggesting that they too are out of the picture in north London.
Of the seven, it is Balogun that is thought to be the closest to departure, with Monaco closing in on a move for the impressive USMNT striker in a deal that could fetch Arsenal almost £50m.
Should the Gunners be able to shift their unwanted players in the coming days, they may well dip back into the transfer market, with a replacement for Jurrien Timber and cover for Buyako Saka thought to be on their wishlist.
