Charlie Nicholas: Summer clear-out needed at Arsenal to help Mikel Arteta start the rebuilding process

What is the problem?

It is the defence. I have been saying for years that it needed addressing. It is not just the fact they have been soft, but they have also signed poorly, bringing poor defenders in. Arsenal have always been a club who have never really spent that much, and even when Arsene Wenger was forced into spending, as in Mesut Ozil, that hasn't exactly worked out for them.

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I look at what Arsenal’s big problems are and signing the wrong types of defenders is right up there. They don’t have to look like Gerard Pique and Virgil van Dijk, they do not have to be cool on the ball. You have to get first part right, which is can you defend? Can you bully and be aggressive to forwards? This is how you have to do the basics. When the big teams do it right, you buy them for their defensive ability.

All these things have been going on for a ridiculous amount of time. Shkodran Mustafi does not even kick anyone, Sokratis does, but for the wrong reasons. It is always a batch of defenders that need to be out of the door at Arsenal. Rob Holding has not improved but I have sympathy for him. They will let him go.

William Saliba is the only one coming in, and you have two or three younger ones coming through, who are possibly not ready. I would rather Arsenal give them game time now. You have Carl Jenkinson who needs to be gone, Calum Chambers the same, Ozil has to go too.

The first priority is shifting five or six defenders. If the money comes in for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, take it and reinvest it in defenders. Saliba could come in and make mistakes, but you have someone who is quick and aggressive and that helps. He could help Arteta, but you need more players like that and as cover too.

How will you get these defenders out of the door with the current financial state of play?

Arteta needs to get them out, but I reckon he has asked for cover at right back, two or three centre-backs with cover for Saliba, he already has Sead Kolasinac and Bukayo Saka as cover, but that is the priority.

His other problem is in front of the back four. He has to get a proper holding midfielder. Matteo Guendouzi could become a great footballer, but Lucas Torreira will be sold. I am not a fan of Granit Xhaka, but I imagine he will be out of the door too.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles has always been a midfielder and never a right or left back. He is athletic and covers the ground. He has done it for three years in the youth side but never in the first team - I have always been amazed by that. This is the state of play.

Where will Arsenal finish?

I think they will finish eighth, seventh at best. The only thing that helps is the fact it is so tight around those areas. A lot of teams still have to play each other. Chelsea have awkward games, Arsenal still have Leicester to play, Man Utd have just played Sheffield United, and Tottenham need to play them too.

Tottenham have too many problems so they will be in a similar place to Arsenal. Chelsea, Man United and Wolves are way ahead of Arsenal. Even Everton could be there or thereabouts.

Can Arteta turn it around?

I think he can. I am not one for having a go at the managers. I expect, and I do not know whether this will happen or not, that in two seasons Arteta will be looking over a very good side. Maybe they will have only caught up with the top four but perhaps even the top two in just over that two-year period. I expect that.

I can easily look foolish and that does not bother me, but as an Arsenal fan and as what I see, the club is not wearing a false face. The defence has been poor for five years, so if you make this better, you have improvement immediately.

There have been so many draws with this team, so if you get that defence sorted, most of those could have been wins. In two years’ time, I expect Arteta will be given resources and players that he wants, in order to get that style he wants.

If he has not identified that Arsenal are a soft touch and that the defence is not the problem, then I have got him wrong.

I do think Arteta will be ruthless with these players, and that will be a tough shot for someone of his age to take. He needs to be cold-blooded, and say to these players that he has been honest with Ozil but can let him go.

If Aubameyang does not sign, then let him go and shift him off. Is Lacazette up for it? If not then he can go too.

He needs to get to that stage, as Arsenal can afford to let 10-12 players go as long as they get five or six in that have the energy and drive to get there. He knows the youth players will be good but he needs to get the balance right, and if he gets the back four and holding players right, Arsenal will be a much better side.

It will not be next year but I expect improvement and Arsenal to be challenging with Wolves, Man United and Chelsea. It may take longer but if they get the defensive shake-up they require, they will improve. It will be sufficient, but this is the poorest Premier League team Arsenal have had. That being said, they are not a million miles off the teams in front of them.

This dramatic change is not as dramatic as what people think, but I think Arteta will get it right and things will improve. The top four will be a challenge next year but it will start to the Arsenal re-build slowly.

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