Arsenal transfer chief Edu keen to sell six Gunners stars after Willian joins Corinthians

Arsenal director Edu will look to follow up the sale of Willian to Corinthians by shipping out no less than six others ahead of this month’s transfer deadline. The Gunners have already made plenty of moves in the market this summer, with Edu and Mikel Arteta having welcomed five new players to the Emirates Stadium.

Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale and Martin Odegaard have all joined Arsenal since the end of last season.

The north London club have splashed in excess of £130million on recruitment over the last few months and it remains to be seen whether a sixth arrival could soon be on the cards.

Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Tripper, who has recently been linked with a move to Manchester United, is said to be on Arsenal’s radar as Arteta seeks the addition of a new first-choice right-back.

However, Edu will need to sell at least one of the club’s existing stars in order to fund a move for the England international.

Arsenal have already raised around £26m through Joe Willock’s permanent move to Newcastle United, but a number of the 21-year-old’s former team-mates could be set to follow him out the exit door over the coming days.

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Willian is reportedly poised to seal a return to his native Brazil with Corinthians, who are in advanced talks over a move for the veteran forward.

The Gunners would be willing to let him depart on a free transfer in order to clear his lucrative salary of around £100,000 per week from the club’s books.

It seems as though Willian could be joined in leaving Arsenal by up to six others before the summer window slams shut.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Eddie Nketiah, Hector Bellerin, Lucas Torreira, Reiss Nelson and Sead Kolasinac will also be allowed to join new clubs this month, according to the Evening Standard.

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The report claims that Arsenal are expecting late approaches for Maitland-Niles and Nelson, who have struggled to fit into Arteta’s first-team picture since the Spaniard took charge of the club in late 2019.

Nketiah is also said to be a man in high demand, with Crystal Palace understood to be keen on the 21-year-old’s signature.

Arsenal have reportedly slapped a price tag of £20m on the forward, who made just 17 appearances in the Premier League last season.

Meanwhile, Torreira has been linked with a move to Fiorentina in recent weeks, with a loan-to-buy deal said to be the most likely option.

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Bellerin and Kolasinac have also been deemed surplus to requirements and could leave the club if any interested parties are prepared to meet their lavish wage demands.

It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will be able to successfully trim their squad by cashing in on their fringe players as the clock ticks down on the summer transfer window.

Any sales will ideally need to be completed as soon as possible to allow the Gunners to make a late swoop for Trippier, who is believed to be keen on a return to the Premier League.

The Atletico man will be out of contract at the end of the campaign, with Arsenal said to be optimistic that a move can be engineered if the Spanish champions are willing to budge on their reported £34m asking price.