The January transfer window is shaping up to be a busy one for Arsenal.
Amid links to the likes of Emi Buendia and Julian Brandt, the focus thus far from the Gunners has been on outgoings rather than incomings, with the club looking to trim down the numbers in the first-team squad.
In fact, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has already outlined what will be the club's main priority during the window.
Speaking in his press conference ahead of Arsenal's 4-0 win over West Brom last weekend, Arteta revealed that he was expecting a number of players to go out on loan this month.
"Well, we have a large squad. We knew that," he said. "A lot of things that should have happened in the summer we could not accomplish them for different reasons.
"There are a lot of players that are going to go on loan. They are going to leave.
"And that's the priority at the moment because we cannot sustain the numbers that we have in certain positions.
"We are looking to do that."
And this transfer promise is already being fulfilled by Arteta as well as the club's technical director Edu.
Sead Kolasinac's return to Schalke was officially completed on Monday, as was William Saliba's loan move to Ligue 1 outfit Nice.
Meanwhile, Matt Macey is reportedly set to join Hibernian, and Mesut Ozil as well as Sokratis are both being tipped to leave before the transfer window closes.
Arteta also revealed that Arsenal are successful in getting some of their unwanted players out of the club, then they will look to strengthen by adding some new faces to the squad.
"And then we will see if we have the right opportunities in the positions that we need some more help we are working with the club to try to address them," he added.
"Obviously financially it’s only us, it’s every club in the Premier League that have been in hit with big numbers.
"We know that this is not going to change in the last year or so. That we are gonna have to add somehow if we’re going to improve the team in different ways financially with some support.
"And we will decide whether this is with loans or buying players in relation to the opportunities we will have in the market."
Phase one is almost complete, but will the Gunners be successful with phase two in signing at least one new player?
