Arsenal now want £100m to sell two players - Sami Mokbel

Arsenal are preparing for a busy summer transfer window under manager Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners spent more than £250 million on eight signings last summer. There were seven permanent additions to the squad, while Piero Hincapie arrived on loan from Bayer Leverkusen.

Arsenal have the option to buy Hincapie for £45m as part of the loan deal, and BBC Sport journalist Sami Mokbel confirms that the club are expected to trigger the clause at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, the Gunners are planning another spending spree, but there will also be outgoings, so the club can remain financially sustainable and meet the squad cost ratio rules next term.

The London giants are open to selling Gabriel Jesus, Ben White and Gabriel Martinelli. Alongside them, the club are expected to listen to offers for Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Arsenal would receive ‘pure profit’ from the sale of academy graduates, and they would look to recoup at least £100m combined to part ways with Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly this summer.

Nwaneri & Lewis-Skelly are likely to leave Arsenal

Lewis-Skelly had a wonderful breakout season with the Gunners last term. He was hailed for his performances against Real Madrid during the Champions League quarter-final.

The Hale End graduate also had a memorable Premier League game against Manchester City, scoring a crucial goal during the thumping 5-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

He was expected to become an undisputed starter at left-back this season, but things have played out differently with the competition from Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori.

Calafiori started the season as a regular left-back for the Gunners until his injury in December. Hincapie took over the position and was brilliant until the last international break.

Lewis-Skelly had an opening with the Ecuadorian’s injury, but he did not play a single minute during the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Sporting, where Calafiori was picked.

The Italian is expected to keep his place at left-back for Saturday’s Premier League game at Bournemouth. Lewis-Skelly has started just one league game for the Gunners this term.

Hence, his departure won’t come as a surprise. Manchester United are monitoring his situation and could emerge as strong suitors if Arsenal are looking for at least £50m for a sale.

Meanwhile, Nwaneri has endured a similar situation with the increased competition. He was loaned out to Marseille in January, having struggled to break into the manager’s starting plans.

At the moment, he faces fierce competition from Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Max Dowman on the right wing. Eberechi Eze, Martin Odegaard and Dowman seem ahead of him in the pecking order for the attacking midfield position.

His situation appears unlikely to improve with no departures expected from the above quintet. Borussia Dortmund wanted Ethan Nwaneri before his new contract was signed. They are back on the trail.

However, the Gunners could prefer to do business domestically to secure the best transfer fee for Nwaneri. We won’t be shocked if London rivals Chelsea make a fresh approach this summer.

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