Arsenal face losing 11 players as Andrea Berta plots summer overhaul

Arsenal's new sporting director, Andrea Berta, has a busy summer ahead as he aims to secure Mikel Arteta's top transfer targets. A striker, central midfielder, winger and backup goalkeeper are all on the Italian's wish list. However, player sales will also be key to boosting Arteta's spending power.

Up to 11 players could be set for exits, starting with Raheem Sterling and second-choice goalkeeper Neto, who are both expected to return to their parent clubs, Chelsea and Bournemouth respectively. Arsenal's out-of-contract stars are also in the spotlight, with midfielders Thomas Partey and Jorginho potentially leaving north London.

The latter is reportedly in talks with Brazilian side Flamengo over a pre-contract agreement. Fan favourite left-back Kieran Tierney is also rumoured to be returning to his former club Celtic on a free transfer.

Berta's internal mission is to increase the transfer fees Arsenal receive when selling players. In the past, the Gunners have been criticised for letting players go on the cheap and accepting offers below their perceived market value, although there was noticeable improvement last summer.

Oleksandr Zinchenko may seek a new challenge following Myles Lewis-Skelly's impressive breakthrough season. Borussia Dortmund showed interest in the Ukrainian in January but did not make an offer.

Jakub Kiwior, who made an appearance in Tuesday night's 2-1 victory over Fulham, is also expected to leave in pursuit of more regular game time. The Polish defender has drawn interest from a host of Italian clubs, with French heavyweights Marseille also keen.

Nuno Tavares, currently on loan, is poised to make his move to Lazio permanent for a fee around £7.5m, while Sevilla have the option to buy Belgian midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga for £10m. The Spanish side are eager to retain the former Luton Town loanee but are unlikely to activate the clause at its current value, preferring to negotiate a lower price.

If Sevilla do decide to pay the full amount, Arsenal would benefit from a 25% sell-on clause, entitling them to a share of any future profit.

Reiss Nelson may also be on his way out, although his immediate focus is on recovering from a hamstring operation he underwent in February. The 25-year-old has only featured in 13 games this season during his loan spell at Fulham, netting twice across all competitions.

Arsenal briefly considered the option of recalling Fabio Vieira from his loan spell at FC Porto in January due to their injury woes, but it seems unlikely that he will have a future at the club beyond this summer. The Gunners had high expectations for the playmaker when he joined for £34.3m in July 2022, but he has failed to impress in Portugal this season, with just five goals and four assists to his name.

If Arsenal get the opportunity to recoup a substantial fee in the coming months, they will likely take it, given that Vieira will only have two years left on his contract.

There are also question marks over the futures of Leandro Trossard and Takehiro Tomiyasu - although both could still remain at the club.

Trossard, the Belgian international, is rapidly approaching the final year of his contract and was the subject of a bid from Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr last summer, which was promptly turned down. Arsenal had intended to offer Trossard a new deal, but no agreement has been reached yet, leading to rumours that they might sell him at the end of the season to help balance their books.

Tomiyasu is still valued by Arteta but has only played six minutes all season due to a knee injury, and if he stays, he's likely to be further down the pecking order.