Arsenal willing to part ways with 7 first-team stars in a bid to bolster their squad this summer — Reports

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are set for a massive summer clear-out with as many as seven players expected to depart the Emirates Stadium, as per reports.

The North London giants and Arteta have done a phenomenal job in re-building an aging squad that has been in decline over the last couple of seasons. Arsenal currently sit at the pinnacle of the Premier League standings, maintaining an eight-point lead over holders Manchester City.

Arsenal are reportedly set to continue to make drastic changes to their squad with a string of departures, starting with their record signing Nicolas Pepe.

The Ivorian failed to make his mark in North London, and after a few disappointing campaigns, the £72m man is set to face the ax this summer. Pepe is currently out on loan at Nice and could potentially have to be paid off by the Gunners to leave the club.

Another Gunners star on loan in France, Nuno Tavares, is also expected to leave in the upcoming transfer window. The defender is likely to be followed by the likes of Pablo Mari, Cedric Soares and Alex Runarsson.

Additionally, two young stars on loan at Premier League clubs — Albert Sambi Lokonga (Crystal Palace) and Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Southampton) — are both expected to be up for grabs this summer. The two midfielders failed to make the cut under Arteta and could be on their way out of the Emirates.

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Folarin Balogun uncertain over Arsenal future

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Elsewhere, Folarin Balogun is admittedly uncertain over his future beyond the end of the 2022-23 campaign. The Gunners loanee is currently plying his trade for Ligue 1 side Reims and has scored 15 goals in just 24 league appearances this season.

On the back of his impressive run of form, the Englishman was questioned about where his future could potentially lie. Balogun said:

"Yeah I mean, contractually I have to go back. Because the loan was only for one year so that was always the agreement."

The Arsenal loanee added:

"But I wouldn’t, um, I’m not sure what is going to happen in the future. A lot could happen in football, a lot could change. It just depends on the conversations we have between me and the club in the summer, and we’ll see what happens."

The England U21 international could face immense competition for places should he return to the Emirates, with the likes of Gabriel Jesus and in-form Eddie Nketiah currently the strikers of choice.