Kieran Gibbs’ Arsenal future is shrouded in doubt, but a combination of a high transfer fee and wage demands could see him stay just a bit longer.

• Gibbs will have limited first team opportunities next season
• Watford, Newcastle and West Ham are being put off by Gibbs’ transfer fee
• His contract expires in 2018

Arsenal have been accused of selling their players too cheaply, but it seems they’re determined for that not to be the case with Kieran Gibbs.

The English full-back has been a fringe player at Arsenal since the arrival of Nacho Monreal. Now that Sead Kolasinac is at the club, Gibbs’ first team opportunities have been limited even further.

This has lead to speculation that he could move to a mid-table Premier League team such as Watford, West Ham or Newcastle, but reports have emerged that his transfer fee is proving too high for them.

Arsenal are said to be demanding £15m for Gibbs, which is a steep fee given he has just a year remaining on his contract and hasn’t played that often.

Compounding the issue is Gibbs’ wage demands, which are reported to be £80k-per-week. Such a figure would make him a top earner at a number of clubs.

It could be that should Arsenal not come down on their asking price, or if Gibbs’ doesn’t reduce his wage demands, the left back could stay at the club this summer and leave for free next year.

While not the worst outcome in the world, it would be a missed opportunity to make a profit on a player that’s not needed at the club.