Pundits, fans and players alike have waxed lyrical about the depth of Arsenal’s squad this season. Not only the best in the Premier League, but definitely the best in Europe.
As proof of this, it’s no surprise that Mikel Arteta’s side are still fighting on all four fronts in their quest to become the first team in history to win the quadruple title.
The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League, in the last 16 of the Champions League, in the Carabao Cup final and in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. It’s been a great campaign so far.
But this season’s injuries have proven that the team still has room for improvement. Indeed, with the summer season fast approaching, Arteta and his team will need to tell a number of their players to look for new clubs.
The most important of these is Gabriel Jesus, who remains a vestige of his former self.
Why Arsenal need to sell Gabriel Jesus
When Arsenal signed Jesus from Manchester City in July 2022 in a deal worth £45 million, the Brazilian looked like the best thing since sliced bread.
Arsenal’s most expensive contract in history
The Gunners have spent generously in recent years.
He arrived with points to prove to Josep Guardiola that he could be the star of a title-chasing team. For a while, it looked like he could do it.
Arsenal’s number nine started his debut at the Emirates Stadium like a house on fire, scoring five goals and providing three assists in his first eight Premier League games.
However, his first season in north London was hampered by injuries. He suffered a knee problem at the World Cup and missed much of the middle of the season. Jesus then did not score a goal from October 9 to April 1. However, he made a successful comeback, scoring six goals in Arsenal’s last 10 league games of the 2022-23 season.
Unfortunately, knee problems were rather common during Jesus’ time in the British capital. Due to competition from Kai Havertz, he only started 17 league games in 2023/24, scoring a top-flight four goals.
Then, in 2024-2025, the horrific anterior cruciate ligament injury occurred. The Brazil international missed most of 2025, but when he returned, he was never the same. Perhaps he has not changed since his first year in Arsenal colors.
Jesus made an impressive return, scoring against Aston Villa and scoring twice against Inter Milan at San Siro, but he has now scored just four goals in his last 13 games and is unable to start regularly.
In fact, the attacker has not made a substitute appearance in any of the last three Premier League games. Still, that wasn’t the low point of his campaign, with Sunday’s start against Mansfield Town the worst.
Jesus was given the captain’s armband, but he never really fulfilled the role or made any significant impact. He had three shots, but only one of them went on target. He also won only one of his five duels on the ground, with a pass success rate of 67%. It wasn’t a good performance considering we were playing against a Ligue 1 opponent.
As the weeks went on, the need to bring him on became more and more apparent and it would be no surprise if this turned out to be his last start for the Gunners.
But the striker is not the only Arsenal forward to be shown the exit in the summer.
Arsenal’s new Zinchenko should be sold
Arsenal’s defense has proven to be one of the best units on the continent in recent years, but their attack still leaves much to be desired. Even though on Saturday they became the third team in Europe’s top flight to reach 100 goals in a season, with only Bayern Munich and Barcelona scoring in the post.
Coach Andrea Berta’s efforts to strengthen his front line last summer are clearly paying off, with Victor Gokeres, Noni Maduez and Ebelesi Eze all joining the club. The latter duo scored against Mansfield at the weekend.
However, there is a feeling that this area of the pitch could be further strengthened, particularly on the left side of the attack.
Like Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli also struggled on the left against Mansfield, losing six of their eight meetings. His rival for the position, Leandro Trossard, is not doing very well.
In fact, the Belgian’s situation will be even worse in 2026. Truth be told, it has been a bewildering season for Trossard, who at one point looked like one of the best wide forwards in English football.
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He started the 2025/26 season in great style, scoring eight goals and providing six assists in the first 22 games. But this calendar year has been even more difficult. The £27m signing from Brighton has failed to find the back of the net for 15 games in a row.
He limped off with an injury in the first half against Mansfield, but even though he was playing out of position in the central area, his 38 minutes were nothing short of memorable.
During his time on the pitch, the 31-year-old created some big chances, but his only opportunity to score went wide due to his advantageous position on the right side of the penalty area. If anything, that moment summed up what has been a frustrating season for Trossard.
The winger is certainly not at the point in his career where he needs to retire, but he is an older player now and is certainly past his best. There’s no shame in that, but Arteta has proven ruthless against similar characters in the past.
Career at Trossard Arsenal | ||
|---|---|---|
season | game | goals and assists |
2022/23 | twenty two | 11 |
2023/24 | 46 | 19 |
2024/25 | 56 | 19 |
2025/26 | 38 | 14 |
Just ask Oleksandr Zinchenko. Once an important part of this team, perhaps even one of its most important players, he helped transform the way Arsenal played thanks to his ability to switch from full-back.
However, a combination of disappointing performances and injuries made his future in north London look all but impossible, and he ultimately left in January. That is the direction Trossard is heading now.
He has had some great moments in an Arsenal shirt and is a clutch player for them. However, a string of goalless games this season and a series of minor injuries at various stages suggest his time at the Emirates could be coming to an end.
The Gunners made the surprise decision last summer to give the Belgian international a pay rise, a decision that was justified at the start of the season, but now it’s time to cut ties with a new player like Zinchenko.
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Arsenal struggled against Mansfield Town in the FA Cup.
