What could happen to Arsenal’s squad if they’re back in action in July?
It cannot be stressed enough that, at the moment, we really don’t know what’s going to happen with football this year.
The current planned return date of April 3 for the Premier League looks very ambitious as coronavirus continues to be a big problem in the UK and the rest of the world.
It could be that Arsenal and the rest of the English top flight will get the chance to finish the 2019/20 campaign later this year, but it’s perhaps just as likely that the season will be ended with current standings, or voided altogether.
We also don’t know yet what might happen if the season is played out after July, when some players’ current contracts and loan deals come to an end.
Assuming there isn’t some option to adjust the dates of those deals ending in line with a new schedule, here’s how it could affect the personnel at the Emirates Stadium…
Out…
Dani Ceballos – his loan from Real Madrid expires on June 30th, and there’s really not been much buzz about us trying to sign him permanently.
Pablo Mari – Mari’s loan from Flamengo also expires on June 30th, but Coluna do Fla report that we may already have agreed to make this deal a permanent one.
Cedric Soares – another of our loan signings whose deal would expire on June 30th, it remains to be seen what will happen with Cedric Soares, who is yet to make an appearance for us.
Matt Macey – a backup goalkeeper who has only played two games for us and mainly been out on loan, Macey’s contract is up on June 30th, making him a free agent.
In…
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – on loan at Roma until June 30th, Henrikh Mkhitaryan could surprisingly be involved for Arsenal again, depending on how things work out.
Mohamed Elneny – on loan at Besiktas until June 30th, the Egyptian midfielder is another who could suddenly be back in action at Arsenal.
William Saliba – this would be an interesting one, with Saliba back on loan at Saint-Etienne until June 30th, but more likely than the above two to become involved in the Arsenal first-team.
Emile Smith Rowe – a fine young player on loan at Huddersfield Town until June 30th, Smith Rowe could also be involved for Arsenal again.
Konstantinos Mavropanos – out on loan at Nurnberg until June 30th, the Greek defender has impressed while he’s away so could be a useful addition depending on how things play out.