While Arsenal fans are focused on transfer arrivals over the summer, there is also an important aspect which involves exits as well.
Andrea Berta is tasked with finding balance within the Arsenal squad, allowing them to evolve to the next level.
That, ultimately, does mean some exits for Arsenal, with some already revealed for this summer.
Arsenal released 20 players across the men’s, women’s and academy teams this summer, just from contracts alone.
Beyond that, Mikel Arteta could face further exits as several other stars look set to make a move away from the Emirates Stadium.
While Arsenal are readying those potential moves, all of those leaving the senior squad have one thing in common, which is hard to replace.
Arsenal set to lose experience through summer transfer exits
Arsenal’s exits this summer have already started, with Jorginho and Kieran Tierney among those to leave at the end of their contracts.
Raheem Sterling and Neto have seen their loans end without a permanent deal negotiated, too.
They won’t be the only ones leaving the Emirates Stadium this summer, however, with further exits to follow.
Thomas Partey’s future is in doubt due to his contract situation, with talks ongoing over a potential extension, but a possible exit is on the cards too.
Oleksandr Zinchenko is also linked with an Arsenal transfer exit, with the defender struggling for game time this season.
Gabriel Jesus could leave Arsenal, though that will be dependent on how his recovery from injury steps up in the weeks ahead.
The one thing all of these players have in common is experience.
All of those stars have been involved at the top level for some time, and many know exactly what it takes to win the biggest trophies.
While that may not be a tangible asset, like the skills they possess, it does bring something to the dressing room that is hard to replace.
For the coming season, where the goal is to win the biggest trophies out there, losing that experience could prove costly.
Arsenal must nurture experience through current squad
There are two ways to add experience to the Arsenal side.
One way is to simply buy experience, which is what they did when signing Jorginho for a minimal fee from Chelsea.
While that is possible, it relies on the right option being out there, which is unlikely to cost an extortionate amount, but can still make an impact.
The second way is to nurture experience through the current players within the team and give them the opportunities to hit that experience level.
Someone like Declan Rice is already a leader in his own right, having featured in several major cup finals over his career.
Plenty of other stars, such as Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba, have grown into players capable of taking that step as well.
It’s just a case of nurturing that experience, which takes time and plenty of ups and downs along the way.
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