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Arsenal to transfer Bukayo Saka in Champions League squad amid rule change and UEFA deadline

Latest Arsenal news takes a look at what next season's Champions League squad could look like as one important first-team star is due a transfer because of a rule change

Arsenal Star Bukayo Saka Has Arrived In Lagos, Nigeria

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has a few deadlines to keep in mind over the next few months with one that will have an impact on Bukayo Saka in particular.

One, of course, is transfer deadline day for the upcoming summer window which, as confirmed by the Premier League opens later this month and closes on Friday 1 September 2023, thus allowing the Spaniard plenty of time to finalise his senior squad for the first half of the 2023/24 campaign.

Three days later and another deadline will be upon Arteta. This one will be in regard to naming their Champions League squad for the group phase with the Gunners returning to Europe's top table for the first time since 2017 after finishing as runners-up to Manchester City this season.

As explained by UEFA, because Arsenal have qualified automatically for the group stage - along with the likes of Man City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain, they must submit List A online by 4 September 2023 (24.00CET).

Now, when it comes to any of the three European club competitions, the rule states: 'Each club is responsible for submitting to UEFA an A list of players (List A) and a B list of players (List B), duly signed by the club and verified, validated and additionally signed by its association'.

'No club may have more than 25 players on List A during the season. As a minimum, eight places are reserved exclusively for "locally trained players" and no club may have more than four "association-trained players" listed in these eight places on List A. List A must specify the players who qualify as being "locally trained", as well as whether they are "club-trained" or "association-trained".'

Meanwhile, the rule with regard to List B is as follows: 'Each club is entitled to register an unlimited number of players on List B during the season. The list must be submitted by no later than 24.00CET on the day before the match in question.

'A player may be registered on List B if he is born on or after 1 January 2002 and since his 15th birthday has been eligible to play for the club concerned for any uninterrupted period of two years, or a total of three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan period to a club from the same association for a period not longer than one year. Players aged 16 may be registered on List B if they have been registered with the participating club for the previous two years without interruption.'

Looking back at Arsenal's Europa League squad for the 2022/23 season and the 24-man squad submitted back in September for the group phase didn't include first-team pair Saka or Karl Hein. Instead, they were included on List B due to their age and meeting the aforementioned requirements.

However, that won't be the case for next season. As Saka is born before January 2002 it means he has to be transferred over to List A when the time comes for the Gunners to submit their Champions League squad, but Hein can remain on List B having been born in April 2002.

It remains to be seen what the final submitted lists will look like come September but a lot will depend on the business Arsenal complete over the summer. Were they to get a deal done for priority target Declan Rice, he would then be eligible for List A and help meet the "association-trained" quota.