There will be plenty of change at Arsenal in the summer transfer window, but there are also key players who are likely to remain at the club but with plenty still to prove.
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal sporting director Edu will be busy in the upcoming summer transfer window.
As much as they will be keen to add to their squad, they must also make room for new arrivals by clearing the decks at the Emirates Stadium. A number of Arsenal players may leave the club this summer.
However, there is a limit on how many players the Gunners will be able to offload. As such, a number of players will remain on the books next season who still have question marks over them concerning how much they can contribute.
Three players facing last chance to save Arsenal career
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Arsenal paid £32 million to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko in the summer of 2022. The left-back had a huge and immediate impact in North London. He transformed how the Gunners play, given his inverted interpretation of his role on the pitch.
However, Zinchenko is a defensive liability, and has been plagued with injury issues. The Ukrainian has accepted that he underperformed this season, and is set to face more competition for the left-back berth at Arsenal in the coming season.
If he can’t get back to his best and cut errors out of his game then he manager will surely cast him aside entirely.
Fabio Vieira
Fabio Vieira has failed to nail down a regular starting berth or impress with any kind of consistency since his arrival from Porto. The Portuguese playmaker is undeniably talented, and has shown flashes of quality, but must now convert that potential into reliability.
Arteta has a choice to make between Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe this summer, as there surely isn’t room for both of them in the Arsenal squad going forward.
Given he is a homegrown player and represents the potential to make pure profit, it makes more financial sense for the Gunners to cash in on Smith Rowe. If that is the route they take, there will be even more pressure on Vieira to step up and deliver.
Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Jesus just endured a torrid season in front of goal, as he only found the back of the net four times in the Premier League. This allowed Kai Havertz to usurp him in the pecking order. The Brazilian still seems somewhat hampered by the serious knee injury he picked up last season.
Arteta may well love the player’s attributes, but Arsenal are now said to be open to offers for Jesus. However, finding a buyer may be difficult given his wages, poor form, and fitness concerns. It is likely, therefore, that he will remain at the club. However, he can’t afford another poor season.