Arsenal to loan out up to TWELVE players this transfer window including Emile Smith Rowe despite injury crisis
ARSENAL may have started the month quiet on the transfer front but reports suggest as many as TWELVE players could leave.
The January window action is set to escalate after a stand-offish opening from English clubs with two Gunners youngsters among those lined up for loan moves.
Nketiah, who left Leeds after just two league starts in five months, is said to be deciding between Bristol City, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest for his next excursion.
Brentford were also reportedly interested but have fallen out of the running after being unable to guarantee a regular starting spot for the 20-year-old striker.
Meanwhile a number of clubs are making presentations to Arsenal about what they can offer attacking midfielder Smith Rowe.
An underwhelming stint at RB Leipzig at the back end of last season is thought to make a loan to an English club this time around more likely.
Huddersfield are the side most prominently linked with the 19-year-old so far.
Game time is a priority for the club's promising youngsters with Smith Rowe only managing six appearances this campaign.
Otherwise, an additional ten players are reportedly listed to leave on loan or permanent deals this month.
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One first-team departure could be Shkodran Mustafi - the German recently changing agents in an apparent bid to find a new team.
That is in spite of three key defenders currently being unavailable due to injury - Kieran Tierney, Calum Chambers and Hector Bellerin.
Dani Ceballos, Rob Holding and Gabriel Martinelli are also battling fitness issues.
But Granit Xhaka is set to stay put after Arteta helped the midfielder reconcile with fans after an infamous bust-up saw him lose the club captaincy.