Giroud Set For Summer Exit Along With Three Other Arsenal Stars

As we approach the business end of the season clubs are starting to make plans for the summer transfer market so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Gooner Mac brings us news of four first team squad players who are tipped to leave Arsenal.

Olivier Giroud is being tipped to head-up the summer exit list at Arsenal with fellow first team squad players Lukas Podolski, Thomas Vermaelen and Nacho Monreal also likely to be sold, according to the Daily Mail.

While doubts continue over the future of Arsene Wenger, it seems the club are basing their summer plans on the Frenchman staying and that’s expected to lead to a number of players being sold this summer.

The Mail claim that the club are ready to listen to offers for several squad players with Olivier Giroud perhaps the most surprising name on the list of those tipped to leave the Emirates at the end of the season.

The Frenchman has divided opinion among fans and pundits alike since he joined from Montpellier in 2012 but there is no denying his form has taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks, and it looks like Arsene is ready to cut his loses after feeling ‘let down’ by the strikers actions following the news that he invited a model to his hotel room the night before a Premier League game earlier in the season.

Giroud was dropped for the Liverpool game following these allegations and although the boss said he was ‘rested’, it was surely no coincidence he was left out in favour of youngster Yaya Sanogo for such an important game on the day the newspapers broke the news.

With Nicklas Bendtner certain to leave when his contract expires in June, we’re expected to bring in at least two strikers this summer which will see Giroud drop down the pecking order and the 27-year-old could leave if a suitable offer comes in.

The other surprise name on the list is that of Nacho Monreal with the report suggesting the Spaniard is frustrated at playing second-fiddle to Kieran Gibbs and could join Thomas Vermaelen and Lukas Podolski in also leaving north London this summer.

Podolski has been playing more recently but that’s mainly down to the fact we have injuries in the attacking positions and when everyone is fit, the German has found himself out the team more often than not. I still think he’s a useful player to have in the squad but if he wants regular first team football you wouldn’t blame him if he wants out this summer.

Likewise with Vermaelen, he is clearly not going to break up the partnership of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny so I’d expect him to find a new club but I would be a little disappointed if Monreal left. With a couple of notable exceptions, the Spaniard has been a reliable member of the squad since joining from Malaga last January and he’s a more than capable back-up for Gibbs.

It’s certainly gearing up to be an interesting summer at the Emirates but the first thing we need to resolve is Arsene Wenger’s future because we can’t make plans in the transfer market until we know whether the Frenchman is going to be in charge or not.

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