Arsenal trigger first summer transfer and put four players up for sale

Arsenal have already decided to trigger a £45m deal to keep Piero Hincapie at the club but are aware they will also have to make player sales in the summer transfer window.

The Gunners beat north London rivals Tottenham to a loan deal for ex-Bayer Leverkusen defender Hincapie towards the end of last summer’s transfer window.

As part of the loan, Arsenal had the option to buy the Ecuador international on a permanent transfer for 52m euros at the end of the season.

Hincapie, 24, has featured in 20 of Arsenal’s 30 league games so far this season and earned praise from Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal have been pleased by Hincapie’s development since arriving from Germany and intend to make him their first official summer signing, according to The Sun.

His move to the Emirates Stadium will therefore be similar to that of David Raya, who initially joined Arsenal on loan from Brentford but was always destined to sign a permanent deal in north London.

Hincapie was one of several new faces to arrive at Arsenal last summer and looks set to help Arteta lift the Premier League trophy.

Arsenal continued their title charge with a 1-0 win over Brighton on Wednesday and saw second-placed Manchester City drop points at home to Nottingham Forest.

Those two results leave Arsenal seven points clear in the title race with eight games remaining, though Man City have a game in hand.

Where else Arsenal decide to strengthen this summer remains to be seen but the Gunners have been linked with several attacking players, including Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez and Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon.

For much of the season it looked like Viktor Gyokeres would need to be replaced but the £64m signing has improved since the turn of the New Year.

After spending over £250m last summer, Arsenal know outgoings are necessary this time around, with the Daily Telegraph reporting that at least one first-team player will be sold.

It is claimed Gabriel Martinelli and Ben White are both ‘strong candidates’ to leave, while Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are also at risk of being sold.

Martinelli has made over 250 appearances for the north London side but has only contributed one Premier League goal so far this season.

The Brazilian is no longer a guaranteed starter under Arteta, who also has £67.5m summer signing Eberechi Eze and Leandro Trossard at his disposal.

White has also become an increasingly bit-part player at the Emirates Stadium, starting just five league games this season due to the presence of impressive full-back Jurrien Timber.

Nwaneri was sent on loan to Marseille in January due to a lack of minutes at Arsenal and has endured an underwhelming start in France, missing the decisive penalty in his side’s Coupe de France defeat on Wednesday.

Like Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly was also once considered one of Arsenal’s brightest talents but has failed to kick on following a breakout season, earning just one Premier League start.

Ex-Arsenal striker Alan Smith fears for Lewis-Skelly and says he will ‘probably’ move on in the summer.

‘It’s been a really difficult season for Myles Lewis-Skelly, hasn’t it? He’s behind two players, really, for the left-back slot,’ Smith told BestBettingSites.

‘If he did get a chance, I’d quite like to see him in midfield. That’s his position. Just see how he fares there. He’s not the best of defenders, so it suits him better in midfield. He’s really creative.

‘I think it’ll probably be a shop window for him. I think there’s every chance he might leave in the summer. We’ll see on that.’

Title favourites Arsenal face Mansfield Town in the FA Cup on Saturday before starting their Champions League last-16 tie against Hincapie’s former side Bayer Leverkusen.

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