Arsenal exclusive: Brutal double exit gathers pace as duo ‘expect’ to leave following Calafiori transfer

With the imminent arrival of Riccardo Calafiori, TEAMtalk understands that two Arsenal defenders expect to leave the club this summer.

After narrowly missing out on the Premier League title last season, Mikel Arteta is keen to strengthen his squad across the board.

The club have already signed David Raya permanently following a successful loan spell and a deal for Calafiori is expected to be completed in the coming days.

Given Arsenal have a decent amount of squad depth in defence, it’s only natural that the club is looking to offload some players this summer.

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TEAMtalk sources have been informed that both Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko expect to leave the club this summer.

Tierney spent last season on loan with Real Sociedad and the writing has been on the wall for quite some time in regards to his future.

As previously revealed by TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are among the clubs keeping tabs on the 27-year-old who is under contract at Arsenal until 2026.

When asked if he has played his final game for Arsenal, Tierney told reporters: “There is every chance.

“Look at the squad depth in that position now. They have Zinchenko, Timber, Tomiyasu, Kiwior. Four players can play there.

“So if I go back and it’s the same as before then I’m not silly, I know the chances are I’ll be leaving.

“But you never know in football. You get the rare case with [William] Saliba, where he came back after a couple of good seasons [out on loan] but you don’t see it too often with someone who has played for four years, left, and then come back to play again.

“Stranger things have happened. I could go back and there is a place for me. So I’m prepared for both.”

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Zinchenko exit also on the cards

Along with Tierney, TEAMtalk also understands that Zinchenko expects to leave the club this summer.

The Ukraine international arrived at Arsenal back in 2022 and he’s made 68 appearances for the club over the last two seasons.

Earlier this year, Bayern Munich were tracking Zinchenko , although the German club are currently focused on securing the future of Alphonso Davies.

Interestingly, the Arsenal full-back recently switched agents which has only added fuel to the fire in regards to the exit talk.

Like Tierney, Zinchenko is also under contract with the club until 2026. While he could still have a role to play in the side going forward, an exit seems more than likely at this stage if a suitable buyer is found.

Arsenal originally spent around £32m to prize the left-back away from Man City and the Gunners are hoping to turn a small profit from his sale this summer.

Reports from earlier this year claimed they are looking for a fee of €45m (£38.5m) for the Ukrainian international, although they are yet to receive an offer as of yet.

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