‘Arteta will have decided who is leaving Arsenal’ – Wright says new boss will have hit list

Mikel Arteta will already know who he wants to move out of Arsenal, says Ian Wright, with the new Gunners boss being backed to “get rid of” the deadwood at Emirates Stadium.

Overseeing a squad refresh is just one of the tasks facing a Spanish tactician in north London.

Before the January transfer window opens, allowing movement in and out, Arsenal have two more Premier League games to take in.

Arteta will be calling the shots in those, as he takes on a first managerial post of his career, with a Boxing Day meeting with Bournemouth set to be followed by a home date with Chelsea.

Those contests should offer greater insight into the changes which need to be made by a club that have become stuck in a serious rut.

Wright believes Arteta is the right man to oversee a rebuilding process, with the former club captain expected to have drawn up a hit list when it comes to culling the ranks.

“I can’t help but feel very excited about this appointment,” Arsenal legend Wright said on his YouTube channel.

“It’s one that I personally wanted to happen maybe a year ago.

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“Some of the comments, you just think to yourself some of our fans, what’s wrong with you lot man? Chill out man, talking about his experience.

“But we’re here now and what we need to do, and as much as people are saying it’s a risk, of course it’s a risk but as fans and as owners and everybody, we just need to back him, we’ve got to go in.

“It’s a risk of course, it’s a risk we have to go all in, we have to put all the chips on it.

“The people upstairs, from owners to fans to everybody.

“We’ve got to go in and support Mikel with everything he does, whether that’s in the transfer market, whether that’s the players that’s going to go out.

“That’s going to happen, there’s a lot of players at Arsenal that we need to get rid of. You know that and I know that.

“When Mikel comes in, he’ll probably know that when he’s watched them and he’s played against them.

“Even the other day he would have said ‘Right, I’m getting rid of him, him, him and him’.

“The fact is that we’ve got to back him in that particular instance.”

Arteta was in the stands on Saturday as the interim reign of Freddie Ljungberg came to a close with a dour 0-0 draw at Everton.

Mesut Ozil, who is among those being linked with moves elsewhere, played no part in that contest while future questions continue to be asked of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Granit Xhaka.