In recent years Arsene Wenger has made a conscious effort to make the heart of the Arsenal team more British. But that appears to be changing with several of Arsenal’s British players expected to be sold this summer.
Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs, Calum Chambers and Carl Jenkinson are all expected to be targets for other Premier League sides nd there is a growing feeling around The Emirates that the Gunners are prepared to sell.
Gibbs is most likely to leave at the end of the season as he is frustrated at his playing time having lost his place to Nacho Monreal.
Walcott’s future will also be called into scrutiny this summer. Having started the season as the club’s No 1 striker, the forward has spent much of the latter half of the season on the bench.
Walcott only signed a new contract last summer but could be tempted into a move, particularly if he misses out on a place in England’s Euro 2016 squad.
Likewise, Oxlade-Chamberlain’s future is in the balance with a host of top-flight club’s primed to launch big-money moves for the forward.
Manchester City, Liverpool, Southampton and West Ham all have a genuine interest in the attacker, who is facing a race against time to prove his fitness for Euro 2016 due to a knee injury.
If Arsenal were to lose Gibbs, Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain, the furor from the Gunners fans would be somewhat muted as they are all squad players. The same can be said for Chambers and Carl Jenkinson.
But that is not the case with Aaron Ramsey, whose long-term future at the Emirates Stadium is far from certain.
Ramsey’s preferred place in the line-up is in central midfield, but he cannot displace Mesut Özil in the line-up.
As result he has played on the right wing for the Gunners over the last two seasons, which is not where he wants to play. A good performance at the Euro’s this summer for Wales could have clubs around England and Europe lining up to sign Ramsey.
Do you think Arsenal will sell any of their core British players this summer? Who do you think will be sold?