The summer overhaul of arsenal reasoned with Henrikh Mkhitaryan completing a loan move to Roma.
The Armenian became one of 25 players to depart the Emirates Stadium either on loan or during the summer, and it is a movement that sums up the fresh strategy to squad-building of the club.
By proceeding around the 30-year-old Mkhitaryan, Arsenal not simply reduce their wage bill but also free up playing opportunities for young academy graduates like Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock.
Here, we take a look at how Arsenal have transformed the squad’s personnel and profile in the club during a summer of radical change.
At the end of Maywe requested Sky Sports readers which Arsenal players they would keep and which they’d sell in front of the summer window.
The poll revealed 11 players that the fans wanted to depart, together with Calum Chambers, Nacho Monreal, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Carl Jenkinson, David Ospina, Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil all voted out.
Three months , and seven of these 11 titles have departed in a hectic summer that has seen a total of more than two dozen players leave the team on a permanent or temporary foundation. The number might be higher had Arsenal managed to locate suitable suitors to get Mustafi – and publicly advised to leave by Emery – and Ozil.
Arsenal were occupied concerning incomings also, breaking up their transfer record to sign the #72m Nicolas Pepe out of Lille while also paying large amounts for left-back Kieran Tierney and 18-year-old central defender William Saliba, who moved straight back into St Etienne on loan to the year.
Pepe has featured prominently in the opening weeks of the summer season, providing the assist for Alexandre Lacazette’s goal in Sunday’s north London derby, and while Tierney is still recovering from an accident, there also have been debuts for David Luiz, loanee Dani Ceballos and Brazilian youngster Gabriel Martinelli. Emery aspect is taking shape.
INS: Gabriel Martinelli William Saliba Kieran Tierney
Spent: #138m
OUTS: Aaron Ramsey, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny, Cohen Bramall, Julio Plegezuelo, Charlie Gilmour, David Ospina, Daniel Ballard, Jordi Osei-Tutu, Ben Sheaf, Xavier Amaechi, Krystian Bielik, Takuma Asano, Carl Jenkinson, William Saliba, Danny Welbeck, Dominic Thompson, Vontae Daley-Campbell, Eddie Nketiah, Alex Iwobi, Nacho Monreal, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mohamed Elneny, Kelechi Nwakali
Received: #56m
* All figures from the Transport Database. Fees referenced don’t include loan prices.
Players in the Emirates Stadium’s turnover was fast, not just this summer but within the past couple of decades. The area of the change becomes apparent when looking back in the matchday squad because of their 2017 FA Cup final triumph over Chelsea of Arsenal – .
Arsenal have proceeded on 14 of those 18 players, Also as having another manager together using Unai Emery instead of Arsene Wenger.
The only survivors are Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding, Xhaka along with Ozil.
Monreal’s death to Real Sociedad signifies Arsenal’s longest-serving senior player is currently Ozil, who joined them in 2013. The playmaker’s long run was in the summertime, but a move never came into fruition. And yet he is still awaiting his first appearance of the year, with younger choices being favoured by Emery.
One conclusion from the summertime of Arsenal is they have placed youth.
Back in Mkhitaryan, Koscielny, Lichtsteiner, Ospina and Monreal, they released or have sold five players over age 30. Even the 32-year-old David Luiz did arrive out of Chelsea, but the only other players from the aged 30 or over are Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Otherwise, the squad has a youthful feel. With the exclusion of Luiz, their summer signings had an average age of 21. There’s also a crop of academy graduates. Although Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe are still waiting in line this year has impressed.
It was the very first time since February 1998 if Arsenal had appointed two British teenagers in their starting line-up when Nelson and Willock started at Newcastle in the opening weekend of this year.
The change was just as dramatic behind the scenes. Where once there was an manager in Wenger, now is a whole team set up to look after off-field things, allowing head coach Emery to concentrate on what happens on the pitch and creating Arsenal efficient in the market.
Raul Sanllehi has overseen the summer business in his function with technical manager Edu as well as help from chief executive Vinai Venkatesham. The Brazilian has been made in July after the death of former leader of recruiting Sven Mislintat earlier this season.
The expectation is that Arsenal have all the bits in place to keep them moving in the perfect direction for your long term. Their attempts to create up the side to the long run have only just begun.
Expect change.
The Premier League is back and you can watch more games than previously on Sky Sports. We’ll show 128 Premier League games exclusively reside – and have each weekend to the selection of matches.
We have new Saturday Night Football slots, even with all matches every weekend in 5.30pm, and Friday Night Football, Super Sunday and Monday Night Football.
Plus, you will be able to see Premier League highlights shortly after the full time sip on app and the Sky Sports website – .
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