Arsenal continue to spend in the January transfer window as Mikel Arteta aims to bring Premier League glory back to the red half of north London for the first time in almost two decades.
16 wins from 19 Premier League matches and just defeat in that time has seen Arsenal rise to the top of the league, with the Gunners sitting points five clear of Manchester City with a game in hand. Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior have signed in January and a deal for Real Valladolid youngster Ivan Fresneda is looking increasingly likely before next week's transfer deadline.
With an obvious recruitment strategy in place, sporting director Edu has been trusted with a healthy budget by the Kroenke family and, on the evidence so far, is spending it well. With Arsenal continuing to move in the market, football.london takes a look at four players who could leave the club.
READ MORE: Edu hit with £13m Arsenal transfer dilemma amid Ivan Fresneda and Weston McKennie decision
Reiss Nelson
Premier League clubs are asked to submit a 25-man squad list after the transfer window. Arsenal only included 21 players in that - although youngsters such as Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba and Marquinhos were all eligible to be included in the under-21 age category, with players of that age not having to be registered. Kiwior wil have to be included in the main list - though Fresneda would also be eligible for the under-21 selection.
This would give the Gunners 22 names in the main squad list, and with Saka, Martinelli and Saliba all having to be hiked up to the 'older group' next season, the club may have that under consideration. Though, with all three being considered homegrown talents and thus fulfilling the eight homegrown players quota, Arsenal can afford to lose some homegrown talents that haven't quite made the grade.
That includes Nelson, who despite showing great potential at the start of his Arsenal career, hasn't really kicked on at the Emirates and has found game time hard to come by such has been Saka's rapid development.
He did feature in the 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the end of October, scoring two goals and assisting one, though a mere one-minute appearance against Wolves before the World Cup break is the only other outing he has had in the Premier League amid injury struggles. It could be time to change that for his own sake, especially as he turns 24 next season.
Albert Sambi Lokonga
Albert Sambi-Lokonga was hailed as one of Arsenal's best signings of the previous summer, with the expectation that a top young Belgium star coming into a fairly shaky midfield would mean he'd be ready to come in and make a big impact.
Of course, the improved form of Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard forming part of an impressive midfield has seen chances for Sambi Lokonga hard to come by. So much so that he has only started twice in place of the absent Partey - and that was for the Gunners' only defeat of the season against Manchester United in September.
With Oleksandr Zinchenko also capable of playing in the middle and with Kiwior, Mohamed Elneny and Emile Smith Rowe also able to play in central midfield, the youngster could well move on from the Emirates on a loan deal to aid his development.
The Europa League could well be his aid, but if there is an early exit for the Gunners, then Sambi Lokonga's playing time could dwindle and at his age, he needs those valuable minutes.
Cedric Soares
Cedric was Arteta's first signing as Arsenal boss, and he impressed enough to be offered a permanent deal on his way out from Southampton.
The Portugal man has played a sporadic role over the past two seasons, though with Tomiyasu and White playing ahead of him now and Brooke Norton-Cuffy impressing in the Championship, Cedric's time at the club could be coming to an end before long.
He has made just four appearances this season, and as a third-choice right-back, may well seek pastures new.
Rob Holding
As was with Nelson, the same generally goes for Holding. Throughout Arteta's spell he hasn't performed badly, rather he has been seen as somewhat of a a 'Mr Reliable' despite a falteringly slow start to his Arsenal career.
Holding made 30 Premier League appearances in 2020/21 as Arsenal finished eighth. The defender has played 35 times in the last 18 months with the Gunners having shot up the table.
Saliba and Gabriel are of course ahead of him in the pecking order having been ever-presents at centre-half, though White, Tomiyasu and new man Kiwior are all capable of playing centre-back in a variety of different ways. Holding has done a respectable job for Arsenal over the years, but it may be time for him to depart in search of first-team football.
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