‘He’ll be sold’: Nicholas claims 4 Arsenal players will go amid Gabriel claims

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Charlie Nicholas has claimed that Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis, Rob Holding and Callum Chambers ‘will be sold’ amid claims that Arsenal want to sign Gabriel, as he told Sky Sports News (19/08/20 at 2:45 pm).

The Times reported that Arsenal have agreed on a five-year deal with the Lille defender, whose teammate, Jose Fonte, also claimed that he is in the ‘process’ of making a move away from the club. [Read Here].

Mikel Arteta is need of defensive quality after a pretty average campaign for the North London club despite the Spaniard helping them to the FA Cup.

Despite having so many defensive problems, Arsenal have a lot of centre-backs on their books and Nicholas shared his thoughts on their backline and Gabriel.

“Gabriel must come in,” Nicholas told Sky Sports. “Would he be a good signing? If we can get Gabriel then we have got a bit of pace and a bit of power there.

“Luiz was signed on a one-year contract, as a squad player and maybe play a back three occasionally. But Mustafi will be sold. He’s injured just now. But he will be sold. He has to go.

“Sokratis, I think will say ‘at my stage, I have to go’. Rob Holding, nothing against him, I don’t think Arsenal’s helped him, it was the wrong move at the wrong time for the lad and I think if the right offer comes in then he will go.

“Obviously, Callum Chambers, who has been in and out of the club an unbelievable amount of time and will have to go for his own sake rather than his long-term future at Arsenal because it doesn’t exist. So, there will be four out, you get the money in and you replace it.”

It also needs to be remembered that another centre-back is already due to come in this summer in William Saliba after he spent the recently-concluded campaign on-loan at St Etienne.

There’s no doubt that Arteta needs to shift a lot of his players, and if he can get a healthy fee for them, then it’ll be even better, but that wage bill clearly needs shrinking.

But equally, quality needs to come in from the other end because Arteta has shown he has the tactical qualities to produce the goods, it’s just a case of him being backed in the market.