Arsenal to sell players as a ‘priority’ in the January transfer window, says Mikel Arteta with Sead Kolasinac joining Schalke on loan

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has confirmed the club’s main priority is to loan out or sell players in the January transfer window.  

Several players remain at the Emirates who no longer seem to be part of Arteta’s plans, and the manager is keen to move players on.  

‘We have a large squad and we knew that. A lot of things that should have happened in the summer, we could not accomplish for different reasons,’ Arteta told reporters ahead of Saturday’s trip to West Bromwich Albion. 

‘There are some players who will go on loan or leave and that is the priority at the moment. 

‘We cannot sustain the numbers that we have in certain positions and we are looking to do that, and then we will see if we have the right opportunity in the positions where we need some more help.’

Sead Kolasinac will be one of the first players to leave the Gunners in January, having agreed to re-join Bundesliga side Schalke on loan until the end of the season. The full back signed from Schalke in 2017 and made 113 appearances for Arsenal.  

Kolasinac has predominately featured in the Europa League and Carabao Cup this season, only making one Premier League appearance in a 2-1 win over West Ham.  

Arsenal technical director Edu added: ‘Sead needs to be playing regularly, so we have decided together that a move back to Germany with Schalke will benefit him at this moment.’