Arsenal’s squad has ultimately not been strong enough this season to maintain a Premier League title challenge in the face of adversity.
Suspensions and Arsenal’s injury crisis this season has decimated Mikel Arteta’s options and the Gunners currently sit 13 points behind league leaders Liverpool.
It means that the Premier League title is out of reach once again this season and with Arsenal’s poor record against Dutch teams, the Champions League will not be any easier.
The Gunners are woefully short in attacking areas and chose not to being in any reinforcements in January either in the transfer market or through an internal solution.
Arsenal currently have six first team players out on loan
Arsenal did have the option to recall several of their first team players out on loan in January but did not take up the option to do so.
The Gunners have six players out on loan at a variety of teams in a variety of leagues. Goalkeeper Karl Hein is playing in La Liga for Real Valladolid and has played against Kylian Mbappe’s Real Madrid this season.
Reiss Nelson has recently undergone surgery whilst on loan at Fulham in the Premier League, whilst Fabio Vieira is back at his former club Porto in Portugal.
Defender Nuno Tavares has been impressing in Serie A for Lazio as Albert Sambi Lokonga has just returned to training for Sevilla, also in La Liga.
Finally, Brazilian winger Marquinhos has been back in his home country with Cruzeiro.
Mikel Arteta could sell some loan stars in the summer to raise funds
Arsenal need to sell Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli in order to raise sufficient funds to acquire all of their summer transfer targets.
However, with six players out on loan and most of them performing well, there could be an opportunity to sell them on a permanent basis in order to raise that extra cash.
Lokonga has already made it clear he wants to leave Arsenal, whilst there doesn’t appear to be futures at the Emirates for Hein, Tavares or Marquinhos either.
Vieira and Nelson could still bring some quality to the Arsenal squad but also both have the highest sell on value, something Arteta will need to weigh up in the summer.