Gunners will not be competing in next season's Champions League
Friday 31 May 2019 06:14, UK
Arsenal are picking up the debris from a disastrous Europa League final, but which players should form part of their future?
The focus will now turn to what the club should do with a squad that has proven itself incapable of competing at the highest level both in the Premier League and among Europe's elite. Next season is already looking like an even bigger challenge.
Unai Emery said after his side's 4-1 defeat to Chelsea: "The transfers, I don't know for next year, but the club is working to improve and to get all we need to go on our way.
"Our idea is to continue to carry on and improve with the young players that have arrived. Maybe some players need to leave but it's not the moment to speak about that."
Speaking last week, head of football Raul Sanllehi reassured supporters that the club have enough "ammunition" to convince top transfer targets to join them this summer.
He told Arsenal Media: "What I can tell you is that we have identified very clearly and unanimously with our head coach and technical people, we know what we want to prioritise and we're very clear on what our priorities are.
"We're already in the market and we're already talking with the people that can help us to cover those positions and I feel quite strong."
But clearing out the deadwood must be the starting point in order to generate funds - and to make a statement - after the size of the rebuilding job was made clear in the early hours of Thursday morning in Azerbaijan.
So who should stay and who should go? Let us know...
Aaron Ramsey is heading for Juventus, while Danny Welbeck is leaving the club with his contract set to expire. Denis Suarez is returning to his parent club Barcelona after barely making a ripple during his loan spell.
More pressingly, Nacho Monreal, Carl Jenkinson and Stephan Lichtsteiner are yet to be offered new deals, while Laurent Koscielny is entering the final year of his current contract.
For some fans, allowing Petr Cech to make an expected return to Chelsea as the new sporting director highlights a level of neglect towards retaining figures with an understanding of the club's DNA.
Despite his clear connection with the west Londoners, the veteran departs with a wealth of experience that could have been utilised by his current employers, and the 37-year-old will become the latest illustrious name to provide his services elsewhere after calling time on his career.
Joe Willock's cameo on Wednesday night was encouraging, but his appearance also shone a light on the lack of depth at Arsenal's disposal, already stripped of having Henrikh Mkhitaryan available for non-footballing reasons.
In failing to to win the Europa League, Arsenal missed out on pocketing over £43m in prize money before the riches of playing in the Champions League are even considered.
Having spent over £70m last summer, reports suggest that Emery will only have a transfer kitty of £40m this time around.
It means he may be forced to turn increasingly to youth, with Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah all hoping to break through into first-team regulars next year.
Emery's side became the first team to concede four goals in a UEFA Cup or Europa League final since Middlesbrough lost 4-0 to Sevilla in 2006, but the former Sevilla boss reacted in positive mood to a chastening night in Baku.
He added: "We have a lot of players with the possibility to improve. We are playing a lot of young players who were experiencing a final for the first time.
"I am positive for the future, creating our way with young players, and getting better as we go."
Back in April, Emery marked his 50th game in charge with a 32nd win at Napoli - more than any of his predecessors during their opening half-century of matches in charge.
Emery insists his squad are only at the start of a big project, but the Spaniard has to take part of the blame for an ultimately disappointing first season.
His decision to revert from a back four to a back five on no fewer than 23 occasions this season magnifies the unswerving sense of flux at the Emirates.
The outcome of the Europa League final was always going to define Emery's first year at Arsenal, but with a third season outside of the Champions League confirmed, the Gunners will struggle to attract the very best players available.
Deciding who to keep will ultimately define Emery's crucial second term in charge.
Charlie Nicholas told Sky Sports News: "I wouldn't keep any of the defenders. Maitland-Niles I feel sorry for because he's not defensive-minded, he's more of a central midfield player. He's a good athlete but he's not getting taught how to defend by these players who are on survival courses.
"Koscielny's been in the deep end now for three years. Arsene Wenger, when he started playing Monreal at centre-back we knew Arsenal were in trouble. I'm sorry to criticise individuals because they give every ounce that they have but they're not good defensively, I would let them all go whatever it takes.
"I don't think it will take £150m to get them out and rebuild and build a new dynamic back four. The genuine aspects of it is I think £60m-£70m would make it better than it currently is.
"We have a decent goalkeeper but we need pace and younger legs at the back. Bellerin and Holding will come back. It's time to use the younger players, like Nelson and Willock. But defensively everything must be pin-pointed to sort the centre of defence and a left-back."
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