Arsenal made eight new signings last summer.
Andrea Berta exceeded everyone’s expectations in his first-ever transfer window, and fans can’t wait to see what he has in store for the upcoming window.
All eyes will be on who comes in, but Berta has been working on player sales as well to help balance the books.
One player who could be on the move is Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Will Kepa Arrizabalaga play another game for Arsenal?
Arsenal could make a profit on Kepa Arrizabalaga
Arsenal signed Kepa from Chelsea for just £5 million last summer.
Signing such an experienced goalkeeper to play as a backup to David Raya for such a low fee seemed like an incredible piece of business at the time.
However, history will view Kepa as an ‘underwhelming’ signing after his mistake cost Arsenal the chance of winning the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.
Despite that, Andrea Berta could end up selling the Spaniard for a higher fee than what the Gunners paid for him just 12 months ago.
That’s according to Ben Jacobs, who said on The Latte Firm: “Don’t discount some form of surprise late window backup goalkeeper because I’m not entirely sure that Kepa is that happy just playing second fiddle to David Raya with no real pathway to changing that because Raya was so outstanding last season.
“And for me, it’s not that Kepa is unhappy with the Arsenal project or Arsenal. He’s still winning things, but he still sees himself as a number one goalkeeper.
“And if somebody comes in there and offers him that first team football regular number one opportunity, if you think about the low fee that Arsenal paid, they can turn a tidy profit there.”
Arsenal will have a tricky problem if they sell Kepa Arrizabalaga
If Arsenal sell Kepa in the next two months, they will need to sign a replacement.
Tommy Setford is an excellent prospect, but he has no real senior experience and is unlikely to be ready to be the number two next season.
The problem for Berta is that no elite goalkeeper will be happy to come and play second fiddle at the Emirates because Raya is not going anywhere anytime soon.
That forces Arsenal to focus on either a young goalkeeper with a lot of potential or someone else like Kepa, who would be happy to be second-choice.
Both of those options come with risks, but the Gunners may not have a choice.
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