Arsenal ready to sell £25m Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool with eight set to follow him out of Gunners exit door

Arsenal are under pressure to cut their wage bill in the wake of the Premier League's new cost control measures that are coming into force this summer

Tuesday 27 June 2017 07:55

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could be one of a number of players leaving Arsenal this summer

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Arsenal are ready to sell Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool with as many as eight other first-team players following him out the exit door.

The England international is yet to agree a new deal with the club and with only a year remaining is likely to be sold this summer with Anfield understood to be his most likely destination.

Jurgen Klopp is a known admirer and is set for a busy summer as he attempts to build a squad capable of challenging both in the Premier League and in Europe where the Reds are back in the Champions League after a two-year absence.

How could Arsenal line up this season?

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1/12How could Arsenal line up this season?

How could Arsenal line up next season?

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Cech may have been dropped for the FA Cup final, but the experienced shot-stopper is unlikely to lose his Premier League place anytime soon. The goalkeeper will turn 36 next season and yet he remains one of Arsenal’s best players.

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Struggled for form towards the end of last season but still one of the best full-backs in the country. Offers pace and power down the wing.

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The German defender enjoyed a solid debut campaign in English football, making 37 appearances in all competitions for the club. Still only 25 and will improve next season, with a year of English football already under his belt.

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His poor discipline cost Arsenal in a couple of vital games, but he remains an important, influential player. There have been rumours Marseille have made Koscielny their top transfer target this summer, but it is highly unlikely Arsenal will sell.

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After impressing with his maturity and composure in a back-three last season, there's every chance Arsene Wenger could place his faith in the youngster once again for the new campaign.

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Arsenal’s first signing of the summer. A versatile 23-year-old defender, Kolasinac plays predominantly at left-back but expect Wenger to have him push on.

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Attracted a lot of criticism for his displays last season, but grew in confidence throughout the campaign and has the talent to become a vital player for Arsenal over the coming seasons. A superb distributor of the ball.

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One of Arsenal's most technically-gifted players and the glue that keeps the side's midfield together. Doubts over his fitness and whether he's got another season left in him, but should he be firing on all cylinders Wenger will want to make full use of him.

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Still negotiating a contract extension with the club. His performance levels dipped alarmingly last season, but when he is in form, he remains one of the finest passers of the ball in the world.

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Mahrez recently announced his intentions to leave Leicester this summer and Wenger refused to rule out a move for the Premier League champion. Mahrez would bring real flair to Arsenal's side, as well as the ability to make something out of nothing.

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The instinctive centre-forward that Arsenal have longed for ever since Robin van Persie's departure. Industrious and physical, he'll bring a tough edge to Arsenal's front line.

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Arsenal are set for an overhaul of their own and are under pressure to cut their wage bill in the wake of the Premier League's new cost control measures that are coming into force this summer.

The rules say that a club’s wage bill should not be more than £7m more than it was in 2016-17, or £19m more than from the 2012-13 season.

If it does increase beyond that limit, the money can only come from external sources such as player sales, ticketing or commercial money, rather than Premier League central funds.

If Arsenal’s wage bill does jump by as much as they want it to with proposed new deals for Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, they are unlikely to make up the money through commercial or ticketing or TV money for next season, not least because they will be playing in the Europa League, not the Champions League.

This means the money will have to be found in player sales this summer, not just of fringe players, but first-team players too.

Olivier Giroud is another who could follow Oxlade-Chamberlain out with Napoli joining Marseille and West Ham monitoring his situation. Jack Wilshere is another who could leave after spending last season on loan at Bournemouth but his wages may prove a stumbling block to a permanent move.

Arsenal summer transfer targets

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1/6Arsenal summer transfer targets

Age: 21
Position: Left-wing
Likelihood: 5/10

After their eye-catching run to the semi-finals of the Champions League, Monaco are being gutted by European football’s elite. One of their many bright young things is Lemar, who would slot right into Alexis Sanchez’s left-sided role at Arsenal should the Chilean leave the Emirates this summer. The problem? Monaco are not selling, or at least not for Arsenal’s reported initial offer of £30.75m.

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Age: 18
Position: Left/right-wing
Likelihood: 3/10

Another Monaco player, Mbappé is one of the hottest properties in Europe and is perhaps a surprise inclusion on the list, with many expecting the teenager to move to Real Madrid, if anywhere, this summer. Arsène Wenger is said to have struck up something of an accord with the lightning quick winger’s family and harbours hopes of convincing Thierry Henry’s rightful heir that north London is the best place for his development.

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Age: 26
Position: Right-wing
Likelihood: 4/10

It is no secret that Wenger is a long-time admirer of Mahrez, whose stock has fallen somewhat following that remarkable title-winning campaign with Leicester City in 2015/16. While some of Europe’s top clubs were hovering around the Algerian this time last year, the coast is now relatively clear. The only worry is whether Mahrez can recreate the scintillating form he began to show two years ago.

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Age: 25
Position: Centre-midfield
Likelihood: 5/10

Seri was one of Nice’s stand-out players during their surprise challenge for the Ligue 1 title last term. If Santi Cazorla’s injury woes continue into the new season, the Cote d’Ivoire international could prove to be an ideal replacement, but his performances in the south of France have not gone unnoticed. Roma, Southampton, Tottenham and Leicester have all been keeping tabs on the midfielder.

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Age: 23
Position: Centre-midfield
Likelihood: 3/10

Gabon international Lemina is in search of regular playing time away from Turin, where he has struggled to establish himself in Max Allegri’s first-choice XI. “I want to play more,” he said in June. “I think it's right for me to play more, find a club capable of giving me more space. At 23 I want to show what I can do.” Could he find the minutes he needs in north London? At the moment, there seems to be little concrete about Arsenal’s reported ‘interest’.

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Age: 21
Position: Centre-midfield
Likelihood: 2/10

Another midfielder whose name has been bandied around in the gossip columns this summer, but with few solid leads for transfer-hungry supporters to pursue. Any deal for the talented CSKA Moscow academy graduate would likely involve him being loaned back to his current club, if indeed any such deal is likely at all.

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There are plenty of fringe players likely to depart, including Calum Chambers, Wojciech Szczesny, Chuba Akpom, Kieran Gibbs, Lucas Perez and Carl Jenkinson but Hector Bellerin is set to stay with the Gunners telling Barcelona that the Spanish right back is not for sale at any price.

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