Arsenal are entering that period of the season, when difficult decisions are being made on the futures of many fringe players.

I don’t mean the likes of Sebastian Squillaci, Nicklas Bendtner, Manuel Almunia, Denilson, Carlos Vela and Lukasz Fabianski as it seems fairly certain that most, if not all of the above, will be leaving Arsenal this summer.

There are quite a few others though who Arsene Wenger could be seriously asking himself, if they have a future at Arsenal?

The likes of Craig Eastmond, Sean McDermott, Gavin Hoyte, James Shea, Rhys Murphy, Sanchez Watt, Vito Mannone, Kyle Bartley,
Ju Young Park, Chamakh, Yossi Benayoun, Henri Lansbury, Pedro Botelho and not forgetting Andrei Arshavin!

That’s 20 players in total…

Would Wenger really agree to release 20 players???

I cannot see so many leaving at the same time, despite so many excellent young players eagerly waiting to take their places in the 1st team and Reserve squads.

Wenger will probably send many of them out on loan again and we might very well be surprised at who Arsene retains rather than who he releases.

Take Ju Young Park for example, even if Podolski joins and Campbell gets a work permit, what would be gained by selling him now that he doesn’t have military service hanging over him? Also, we cannot be sure if our annual injury jinx will switch it’s attention away from our defenders, onto our forwards next season so it might be prudent to have an extra striker in the squad, just in case the worst case scenario decides to fall upon us.

Maroune Chamakh – most Arsenal fans are certain that Wenger will sell him, especially if Podolski joins but Arsene Wenger seldom does what we all think he’ll do, so don’t be surprised if Chamakh stays, at least for one more season.

I certainly wouldn’t be surprised at all, despite the newspapers being full of the story that PSG want to sign him for £5-6 Million.

Yossi Benayoun is a good professional and a good team player, but his salary is rather on the expensive side for someone who plays so few games.

What about Yossi, would he accept a pay-cut to stay?

Unlikely in my opinion and that’s why I expect to see our Israeli midfielder returning to Chelsea in the summer.

Bartley, Lansbury, Eastmond, Hoyte, Watt, McDermott, Shea, Murphy and Botelho are all in their early 20’s and need 1st team football at this stage of their careers, playing in the reserves is no good to them.

My own view is that Bartley, Lansbury and Eastmond will stay Gooners but go out on loan again.

The others, well that’s anyone’s guess.

I believe that Botelho is under contract to us for one more year and I strongly suspect that he’ll spend that year on loan in Spain again, before leaving for good in 2013.

Vito Mannone is in his mid-20’s and needs regular first team football, a summer transfer for him would probably be best for all concerned.

Wenger has made it clear that he likes Andrei Arshavin and despite loaning him back to Zenit St Petersburg, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him returning to the fold for next season.

Despite all the rumours, we cannot be certain that Wenger will sign anyone!

It seems that Mario Gotze won’t be leaving Dortmund for another year at least. Jan Vertonghen, despite his come and get me plea, could quite easily end up at White Hart Lane and Lukasz Podolski is now talking up a move to Lazio Roma.

So we might be a position next summer, of having to hold onto what we already have, as no replacements arrive.

Don’t be surprised if next seasons new additions turn out to be Junior Hoillett, Joel Campbell and Ryo Miyaichi…!!!

We all know what Arsene is like, bless him and we all know that we have a CEO who is all mouth and no trousers….

Finally, today Arsene Wenger will find out if he is to face another touchline ban in Europe after the ‘goings on’ in the tunnel after our Milan game. I think we all know what the outcome will be don’t we?

Written by Allezkev