Andrea Berta faces £193m Arsenal transfer truth as Liverpool and Chelsea blueprint clear

The transfer window shuts in less than three weeks' time and Arsenal have only managed to receive transfer fees for two players.

Nuno Tavares joined Lazio in a deal worth £4.2million early on in the window, while young winger Marquinhos permanently departed for Cruzeiro for around £2.5million. Elsewhere, Jorginho, Thomas Partey, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu left the club for nothing, while Raheem Sterling and Neto returned to Chelsea and Bournemouth, respectively, after their loan spells.

In truth Andrea Berta has so far struggled to sell some of the fringe members of Mikel Arteta's squad. Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Reiss Nelson have all been linked with moves away but, at this time, remain Arsenal players.

Vieira is in talks over a potential move to Stuttgart, while Fulham are keen on signing Nelson, believed to be a loan move despite Arsenal hoping for a more permanent solution. Karl Hein, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli are a further three players who could well leave if a decent offer is made.

The transfer window closes on Monday, September 1 at 7pm so Berta has just under three weeks to try and bring in some decent money for the aforementioned players. That is all the more important considering Arsenal have spent big on incomings.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera and Viktor Gyokeres have been signed by the Gunners for a combined £194million, according to transfermarkt. In comparison, only £6.7million has been generated from player sales which is relatively low when compared to rival clubs.

Title rivals Liverpool have brought in around £170million with the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Jarell Quansah and Caoimhin Kelleher all being moved on. Chelsea have also had success in this department and have recouped around £200million. Noni Madueke, Joao Felix, Djordje Petrovic and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall have all been moved on for decent fees.

So that means Chelsea have generated more than £193million more than Arsenal in transfer fees this summer. Berta must strive to change that in the coming weeks, especially with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules to consider.

Arsenal are not the only team to struggle in this aspect, though. Manchester United are yet to bring in any money from player departures this window despite spending big on Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. Crystal Palace and Fulham are also yet to generate any money from exits.

Arsenal must learn to sell players and at the right time. They have struggled to do this in recent years but Berta will certainly be hoping to buck that trend.

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