Danny Welbeck and David Ospina's futures in doubt with Arsenal expected to make squad cuts

Danny Welbeck and David Ospina are the two highest-profile Arsenal players who will return from the World Cup facing uncertain futures.
The club are focused on trimming the squad after completing their main incoming transfer business. New coach Unai Emery has spent around £70 million on five senior signings who are aimed at adding defensive resilience to the team he inherited from Arsene Wenger.

The arrival of goalkeeper Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen means that a senior goalkeeper is likely to leave and the expectation is that it will be Colombia No 1 Ospina rather than Cech.

Welbeck is also now in the final year of his contract and, having been part of England’s World Cup squad, the striker is facing a struggle for selection. Arsenal played their first pre-season match on Saturday against Borehamwood, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Henrikh Mkhitaryan all scoring – and Mesut Ozil will be ready to return in time for the tour to Singapore.

Welbeck has scored only 27 goals across four years at Arsenal but did play 43 games last season after being disrupted previously by a knee injury. It was enough to make Gareth Southgate’s squad, although he made only one appearance in Russia as a substitute.

Like Welbeck, Aaron Ramsey is out of contact next summer butArsenal have made a big effort to persuade the Welshman to sign a new five-year contract and Emery regards him a central figure in his team. There is optimism that he will soon extend his stay at the club.

Even after bringing in Stephan Lichtsteiner, Arsenal are also determined to keep right-back Hector Bellerin, who has a contract until 2023 but was keen last year on moving to Barcelona.

Other obvious potential sales are Lucas Perez, Carl Jenkinson, Chuba Akpom and Joel Campbell. Perez and Jenkinson did feature in the 8-0 win against Borehamwood, as did many younger players including Reiss Nelson, Ainsley-Maitland-Niles, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith-Rowe, Jordi Osei-Tutu and Joe Willock.

Emery is currently also deciding which of these players will remain with his first-team squad and who would benefit from a season on loan. Arsenal have more serious warm-up matches against Atletico Madrid, Paris St-Germain, Chelsea and Sevilla before starting the season at home to defending Premier League champions Manchester City. They have an advantage this summer, however, in that relatively few key players have been involved in the latter rounds of the World Cup and most of the squad will have had the rare luxury of a complete pre-season.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/07/16/danny-welbeck-david-ospinas-futures-doubt-arsenal-expected-make/