5 Arsenal Players Who Might Be Sold Before the Season Starts

This summer looks to be one of turmoil at Arsenal—a good kind of turmoil, with talented new arrivals being brought in unusually early, but change will always breed more change.

Some signings add squad depth, while others replace departing players. In any case, every new player takes the playing time of another. Therefore, with several additions, there will be some turnover.

Multiple players are still to be inked, but let's take a look at who Arsene Wenger might sell to make room. 

Ryo Miyaichi

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Ryo Miyaichi's time at Arsenal is clearly up. After a couple of injury-stunted campaigns in which he failed to show any tangible progress, the 21-year-old needs to get some playing time.

Alexis Sanchez's signing pushes the Japanese youngster even further down the pecking order to the point where he will have to suddenly morph into a prodigy to have any hope of playing. 

In a squad with very little dead weight, he is one of the most obvious pieces. 

Joel Campbell

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The World Cup was simultaneously a blessing and a curse for Campbell.

While he was able to display his talents on the biggest stage in sports, his exertions will prevent him from participating in Arsenal's full preseason program.

That will render him unable to train with the rest of the first team and show off his skills to Arsene Wenger, thereby making it exponentially more difficult for him to earn a spot in the club's Premier League squad.

Alexis Sanchez can play as either a striker or winger, which are Campbell's two main positions. The Costa Rican is certainly not overcoming Sanchez, so it's difficult to see where exactly he fits in the squad. 

Abou Diaby

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If no one is willing to pay even a minimal transfer fee for a player as fraught with risk as Abou Diaby, the Frenchman will have to play out the final year of his contract.

However, if someone wants to take a flier on a truly world-class talent, Arsenal would likely take any fee for the player they would otherwise let go for free in less than a year anyway.

The tradeoff, of course, is that they'll lose a year of Diaby's talent if he stays somewhat fit. Arsene Wenger, of course, evidently does not bank on that happening—as well he should not, based on the club's reported chase of Sami Khedira, via Graeme Bailey of Sky Sports. 

Yaya Sanogo

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Sanogo showed oodles of raw talent during his few appearances last season but never managed to put the ball in the back of the net. He'll find his opportunities to do so severely limited this year by Alexis Sanchez and a fit-again Theo Walcott.

It is difficult to see when exactly Sanogo would get to play outside of Capital One Cup games and FA Cup games against opponents in lower divisions.

Selling him outright would probably not be the best decision considering his limited body of work, but a loan deal makes a great deal of sense. 

Mathieu Flamini

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Mathieu Flamini had better hope Arsenal fail to sign Sami Khedira or another excellent defensive midfielder this summer.

The Frenchman was already on the fringe of the first team at the end of last season, and Arsenal's widely reported interest in someone who plays his exact position should worry him.

It's plain to see Flamini lacks the refinement required of a routine starter. If another player of his ilk is acquired, Arsenal will have three men for one position, with Flamini, Mikel Arteta and the new boy. Wenger seems to much prefer Arteta over Flamini, so the latter would be pushed to the edge of the bench.

Wenger could raise a little money and free up a place in his Premier League squad by offloading Flamini, though he is quite useful as a utility man.

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