Arsenal have done their business in terms of incomings, but Arteta wants to trim his squad down now.
The boss has made it clear that the squad needs to be thinned, speaking at his press conference on Thursday morning. 'We have 30 players here which is not sustainable. And obviously the market is still open and things can happen.'
Having narrowly missed out on the title last season, Arteta will be determined to ensure that he has the right players around him, to back up the major signings of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.
The Gunners will need to submit a 25-player squad once the transfer window closes, so it is inevitable that some players will be worrying that they have played their last game in an Arsenal shirt.
Mail Sport take a look at who is in the firing line.
KIERAN TIERNEY
Tierney has been a fan favourite at Arsenal ever since his arrival in 2019. Whilst he has been instrumental in the Gunners' rise towards the top of the Premier League, his playing time has been severely restricted due to the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko last summer.
Arteta has voiced that Tierney remains part of his plans for the upcoming season, but the Scot will certainly be eyeing more playing time.
With Newcastle, Aston Villa and Celtic all suggested as possible destinations, Arteta could be tempted to sell, providing he receives a satisfactory offer.
ALBERT SAMBI LOKONGA
Since arriving from Anderlecht for £15 million in 2021, Lokonga has struggled to shine at Arsenal. Minutes have been scarce, leading to the Belgian being sent out on loan to Crystal Palace for the second half of last season, where he failed to shine.
The 23-year-old has not featured in either of Arsenal's pre-season fixtures so far, reportedly due to a 'small' injury, but it is evident that he does not feature in Arteta's long-term plans for the squad.
The recent arrivals of Jorginho, Rice and Havertz confirms this and, with a reunion with former coach Vincent Kompany being touted, Lokonga could well be on his way.
NUNO TAVARES
Like Lokonga, Tavares has never nailed down a consistent streak of starts for the Gunners, culminating in a loan spell at Marseille last season.
It seems unlikely that he will get many minutes this year, as Arteta has already trialled Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu at left back in pre-season.
At 23, Tavares is at a crossroads in his career. West Ham have expressed interest after a permanent move to Marseille was ruled out, and Galatasaray and Brighton have been linked.
He does not yet have a squad number so, if Arteta wants to trim down his squad, surely Tavares is one of the more obvious choices to be axed.
NICOLAS PEPE
Labelled as one of Arsenal's biggest ever flops, Arteta has made it clear that he wants to show Pepe the exit door. Since he arrived for a club-record £72 million four years ago, Pepe has never looked likely to live up to his price tag.
Following an injury-littered loan stint at Nice last season, Pepe has not been included in Arsenal's squad.
Rumours of a move to Roma have been swirling, but Arteta is even prepared to terminate the Ivorian's contract, should push come to shove.
CEDRIC SOARES
Soares arrived at Arsenal in 2020, following a successful season on loan at the Emirates, yet has never been considered as a first-choice option. He was shipped off on loan to Fulham for the second half of last season and had a torrid time, playing fewer than 200 minutes.
In Ben White, Tomiyasu and Timber, Arteta has enough cover at right back and so would be willing to move the 31-year-old on, leaving him out of his pre-season squad.
Villarreal have expressed interest, whilst a return to Portugal could well be on the cards.
FOLARIN BALOGUN
Despite an outstanding spell on loan at Reims last year, Balogun looks destined to leave the Gunners this summer. Fortunately for Arteta, the forward is in high demand, having been linked with Inter and other top European clubs.
The stumbling block has been the fee though, as Arteta demands £50 million for the American.
Balogun has been seen training alone and missed the recent friendly win against Barcelona with a foot injury. He will surely be leaving the Emirates this summer, should the Gunners agree on a satisfactory fee with one of his many suitors.
FABIO VIEIRA
It seems ludicrous that Arsenal would consider selling their £34 million midfielder after just one season.
Havertz's recent arrival indicates that starting opportunities will be seriously limited in the near future, so Vieira might be tempted to seek playing time elsewhere.
Should the right offer come in, he will surely consider it. However, there has been no indication from Vieira or Arteta that a transfer is imminent, and the 23-year-old certainly helped his cause following an impressive performance versus Barcelona, capped off with a 25-yard screamer.
ROB HOLDING
Holding is entering his seventh year with the Gunners, but injury and inconsistency has meant that he has never delivered on his potential.
A disastrous performance against Barcelona has piled on the pressure on the defender, who looks set to spend the majority of the upcoming season on the bench.
Arsenal recently rejected a £2.14 million bid from Besiktas but, given that the Englishman is entering the final year of his contract, the Gunners might just want to cash in now, to avoid losing him for nothing next summer.
