Five Arsenal stars playing for their futures ahead of the summer transfer window

                                              

What Arsenal stars are playing for their future as Mikel Arteta prepares to shuffle his pack in the summer transfer window?

By Adam Le Roux

The games are ticking down and the season is nearing its end, and for Arsenal Football Club, the sooner they can turn their back on the current campaign the better.

With a nondescript Premier League sojourn and European hopes hinging on Thursday’s trip to Prague, the Gunners will already be looking ahead to the close season, where they can assess and adjust accordingly ahead of next year.

The powers that be will already be looking at the current crop of players and seeing who could be farmed out and replaced in the summer, with a number of stars likely to be on borrowed time with just a handful of matches remaining.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at who could be on their way out of the Emirates this summer if they don’t buck their ideas up, and who could be earning themselves a reprieve for another season.

Nicolas Pepe

It’s now been over 18 months since Nicolas Pepe joined Arsenal and we are still waiting to see the effervescent winger that was promised when he made the move from Lille in August 2019.

The Ivory Coast international netted the opener in Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Slavia Prague at the Emirates, but with just five Premier League goals to his name this season, his return is a lot less than Arsenal require.

A winger that can reach double figures for goals is an essential for any team that is trying to challenge for a top-four spot in the English game, and the topsy-turvy form of Pepe doesn’t help with that whatsoever.

One day he can be unplayable for defenders, and the next he can be unplayable for Mikel Arteta - such is his temperamental attitude - and Arsenal need someone they can rely on week in, week out.

If the Ivorian can start to produce the goods on a regular basis then he could be a mainstay in the team, but before then he is as dispensable as anyone.

Mohamed Elneny

Rumours are being bandied about that Mohamed Elneny is primed to sign a new contract at the Emirates this summer, amid interest from Turkish side Galatasaray.

The Egyptian has just a year left on his deal at the minute, but how he is deserving of a new deal is almost a mystery, with a number of players above him in the pecking order for the central midfield role.

Granit Xhaka, Dani Ceballos and Thomas Partey would all be chosen to start in the Gunners’ engine room ahead of the 28-year-old, who has already had a stint in Turkish football with Besiktas last year.

He may be a decent back-up option when desperation strikes, but there are much better alternatives that could be chosen, rather than the one-dimensional Egypt international.

Cedric Soares

That late, late equaliser for Slavia Prague on Thursday night proves exactly why Cedric Soares is on this list.

The Portuguese full-back was left wanting as Tomas Holes stole in at the back post to head the visitors level, as he let his man evade him to find the space to reach the ball.

That sort of lax defensive attitude is something that has cost Arsenal dear time and time again this season and is something that needs to be rectified in the future.

With Hector Bellerin potentially moving on to pastures new this summer, it is worrying to think that Cedric could be the first choice right-back when next season gets underway

The 29-year-old is no more than a steady Eddie in that position, and Arteta will need to head into the transfer market if his first-choice right back does indeed leave London in a few months’ time.

Eddie Nketiah

With just one Premier League goal to his name this season, Eddie Nketiah’s time as an Arsenal player could be coming to an end when the summer hits.

The England under-21 international has failed to hit the heights that we all imagined when he first burst on the scene, with his predatory instincts leaving much to be desired.

With just three first-team appearances since the turn of the year, Arteta hasn’t hidden the fact that he doesn’t trust the 21-year-old to lead the line for his team.

There comes a time when hard decisions have to be made with academy graduates up and down the country, and after a number of unconvincing performances in red and white this could be the time to cut ties with Nketiah.

Joe Willock

He may not even be playing his football at the club at the moment, but Joe Willock is very much playing for his future while out on loan at Newcastle United for the remainder of the campaign.

The 21-year-old was struggling for game-time at the Emirates before making the move to St James’ Park, but has taken the bull by the horns since being given top-flight football on a regular basis for the Magpies.

Willock has netted twice since making the move to the Northeast, including a late equaliser against Tottenham in a 2-2 draw last time out - which was the perfect way to endear himself to Arsenal fans.

With a number of questions arising about his quality while warming the bench for the Gunners at the start of the season, Willock could be a handy addition to the team when he returns to the Emirates in the summer.

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