Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is prepared to sell an "important" player who "goes under the radar", with the Gunners looking to recuperate much-needed funds after a summer of serious spending.
Mikel Arteta's side are widely expected to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title with Liverpool after splashing north of £250 million on eight key arrivals in Kepa, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie.
Arsenal's confirmed summer signings Price tag
Kepa Arrizabalaga £5m
Martin Zubimendi £60m
Christian Norgaard £15m
Noni Madueke £52m
Cristhian Mosquera £13m
Viktor Gyokeres £55m
Eberechi Eze £67.5m
Piero Hincapie Loan
There's been promising signs from a few of them already, perhaps most notably Madueke, who has showcased real improvement since joining Arsenal at both club and international level.
The former Chelsea star has already been tipped to end Gabriel Martinelli's career in north London, amid uncertainty over the Brazilian's long-term future.
Martinelli is attracting interest from AC Milan and a move in January is very much possible, according to reports, but the Gunners value him at around £60 million and suitors were only willing to go up to £40 million in the summer (CaughtOffside).
Arsenal could be set for major changes in the wide area following the arrival of Madueke and Eberechi Eze, who's primarily viewed as a central playmaker but can operate on the wing.
Alongside Martinelli, Belgian winger Leandro Trossard has been linked with a move elsewhere, even after he put pen to paper on a non-extended new contract with improved salary terms.
Arsenal players pose for a team group photo before the match
Arsenal players pose for a team group photo before the match
The 30-year-old is a wonderful impact player on his day, but Arsenal are running out of time to make any money back off the winger's sale as his deal expires in 2027, and reports last week even suggested that Besiktas held out-of-window talks to sign Trossard in a potential £19 million move.
While this ultimately didn't go anywhere, ex-Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown says that Trossard's exit is still likely in January or next summer.
Arsenal prepared to sell Leandro Trossard as replacement mooted
Speaking to Football Insider, Brown states he's "heard" that Arsenal are prepared to sell Trossard if the right offer comes in — despite him being an "important" member of the squad.
“Trossard is an important part of the first-team squad,” he said.
“He comes in and does a good job whenever he’s called upon, and he probably goes under the radar in terms of what he brings to the team when he does play. I think you need people like that in the squad.
“There’s always going to be interest in taking him away even after this new contract, and from what I hear, they’d be prepared to let Trossard leave if they right offer came in.
“Whether it happens in January or next summer, they can sell him for a good price and then bring in somebody else to replace him. Depth is going to be so important for Arsenal, it can be the difference in their ambitions to win titles, and it’s going to be a key focus for them.
“But that doesn’t just mean bringing in new players, they’re going to look to refresh their current options too with new faces and that can make a big difference.
“That means letting players like Trossard and a couple of others leave the club.”
During his time in N5, Trossard has scored some big goals at crucial times, and fired home an impressive 16 in all competitions across 2023/2024 in what was his best season at the Emirates to date — including four in the Champions League.
Trossard also racked up eight goals and eight assists in the Premier League alone last term, so while he's not one of the mainstays on Arteta's team sheet, the attacker could still have a significant role to play before Berta finally decides they have to sell.