The seven players Arsenal could sell this summer to build mighty £114m transfer war chest

So close and yet a million miles away. Once again, Arsenal found themselves coming up agonisingly short in their Premier League title bid this season, thwarted, coldly, by the nonchalant brutality of Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City machine. Two points might as well have been 2,000.

Of course, the Gunners will reload and go again next term, and to that end, a busy summer transfer window is expected in north London. Top of Mikel Arteta’s recruitment wish list is a world class centre forward, but there may also be interest in midfield reinforcements and a defender or two as well.

To facilitate these acquisitions, however, several first team players may have to be sold first. Financial regulations have put the squeeze on Arsenal, like so many other clubs in recent months, and a number of surplus talents could be offloaded in an effort to both balance the books and free up fees to bring in fresh faces over the coming weeks. Surplus talents like...

Eddie Nketiah

The Hale End academy graduate is desperate to play regular first team football, but it doesn’t look as if he will be afforded that opportunity at Arsenal any time soon, especially with the expected arrival of a new striker in the pipeline. Among others, the likes of Fulham, Wolves, and Crystal Palace are all understood to be interested.

Aaron Ramsdale

Having lost his number one jersey to David Raya this season, it feels inevitable that Ramsdale will be sold - or at the very least loaned out. Several clubs have been linked, including the likes of Chelsea and Newcastle United, but at this stage, it is unclear as to where the England international will end up.

Emile Smith Rowe

Similar to Nketiah in the sense that his first team minutes look as if they could become increasingly limited, Smith Rowe is a supremely talented player, but one who may need to reboot his career elsewhere to properly rediscover his momentum after a difficult run of injury. A number of Premier League clubs have been touted as admirers.

Nuno Tavares

Tavares spent this season out on loan at Nottingham Forest, but returns to his parent club with few realistic prospects of breaking into the first team picture. An exit feels fairly inevitable, and would probably be a good idea for both the Gunners and the defender himself.

Kieran Tierney

Another full-back who spent the season out on loan, Tierney has tumbled down the pecking order at the Emirates in recent times, and looks very likely to be sold this summer. As with several players on this list, a Premier League move could be on the cards - although the fact that he played in Spain with Real Sociedad this term could hint at a potential broadening of his horizons.

Albert Sambi Lokonga

A genuinely decent option for relegated Luton Town in the centre of midfield this season, Lokonga nevertheless feels like an experiment that is unlikely to work out for Arsenal. Instead, a sale could be on the cards. In truth, a presence that will not be missed too greatly in North London.

Reiss Nelson

And finally, like Nketiah and Smith Rowe, Nelson is another product of Arsenal’s academy system who looks destined for an exit in search of greater first team opportunities elsewhere. Crystal Palace and Brighton have both been linked in recent times.