Arsenal Struggling to Offload Fringe Players With Clubs Unwilling to Match Astronomical Wages
Arsenal are being thwarted in their attempts to conduct a summer clearout, with the clubs interested in their frozen out stars reluctant to pay their huge wages.
The Gunners are trying to significantly reduce their first-team ranks in a bid to free up wages to make room for new arrivals such as reported targets Thomas Lemar and Jean Michael Seri.
However, the Daily Mail has claimed that the likes of Jack Wilshere, Calum Chambers and Kieran Gibbs’ salaries at the Emirates are delaying would-be suitors from making concrete offers for the out-of-favour personnel.
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Prospective buyers are digging their heels in over the extortionate wages that Arsenal are paying players who are surplus to requirements, and only one such individual – Wojciech Szczesny – has so far left north London in a £10m switch to Serie A champions Juventus.
That has left manager Arsene Wenger scratching his head over how to move his unwanted players on, with the club set to strike off around £19m from their annual wage bill if the Frenchman sheds those who won’t play a part for Arsenal next term.
Galatasary, West Ham United and Sampdoria have both been touted as possible destinations for Wilshere, while Crystal Palace and Watford are thought to harbour interest in Chambers and Gibbs respectively.
Other potential departures include David Ospina, Lucas Perez and Mathieu Debuchy, but the sextuplet’s salaries are getting in the way of any deals being struck with other clubs.
Arsenal are in the process of weighing up a fourth bid to try and entice Monaco to let 21-year-old forward Lemar join them, with Nice star Seri seen as a potential back up option if the reigning Ligue 1 champions continue to rebuff their advances.
If the FA Cup winners want to lure clubs into buying their unwanted players, a reduction in their asking prices may be required to persuade those interested to make a move.
Arsenal would also do well in shipping out as many fringe players as possible to free up funds for contract rebels Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, who are still said to be holding out for wage increases in excess of £280,000-a-week.
