The season may be over, but the evolution of Arsenal’s squad continues.
The target is clear: to assemble a group capable of wresting the Premier League title away from Manchester City.
Arsenal are close to doing that, so their squad is unlikely to undergo a dramatic overhaul. According to research group CIES Football Observatory, they have the most stable squad in world football. Almost 800 clubs from 59 leagues were organised into a continuity index by considering their age structure, contract policy and overall stability.
Nevertheless, there will inevitably be some departures this summer. It is arguably high time: while Arsenal’s recent recruitment and retention have rightfully been praised, they’ve struggled to raise significant funds through sales. With several academy players potentially available for purchase in the weeks and months to come, Arsenal may be in a position to boost their PSR position.
It’s important to remember that Arsenal won’t sell every player they consider to be available for the right price. Doing so would leave them short of depth, and with too much recruitment to complete in one window. Which players leave this summer will ultimately be determined by the market.
Here, The Athletic audits the Arsenal squad as it stands…
Goalkeepers
David Raya (on loan from Brentford)
The 28-year-old played this season as a Brentford loanee, and Arsenal are expected to complete a £27million ($34.4m) permanent deal for him this summer. A long-term contract is agreed in principle, but as of yet Arsenal have not communicated to the player’s camp when they intend to push ahead with the transfer. Nevertheless, it is a question of when, not if.
Aaron Ramsdale (contract expires 2027)
Having been displaced by Raya as Arsenal’s No 1, Ramsdale is a prime candidate to move this summer. Reported interest from Newcastle is accurate, and other clubs in the Premier League and abroad are keeping tabs on his likely availability. As yet, however, there has been no formal approach for the player.
One sticking point could be the fee. Arsenal expect to recoup what they paid for Ramsdale — but after a season on the bench, such demands are not especially realistic. Given he is under contract for the next three years, Arsenal might have to consider a loan to enable him to play regularly and raise his value.
Karl Hein (2024)
Estonia international Hein is out of contract this summer. Until recently, he had been set on leaving the club to pursue first-team football. The matter is not entirely closed, however — the goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana is a big fan of Hein and would like to retain him if a last-minute deal can be agreed.
Arthur Okonkwo (2024)
Okonkwo, 22, spent the season on loan at Wrexham, helping them win promotion to League One, and has already said his farewells at Arsenal. Having been with the club since the age of seven, it will be a wrench to leave. He is out of contract, and likely to have many suitors.
“We’re keen to keep Arthur, and we’re working on that,” Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has said. “It could take time but one thing is for sure: we’ll give it everything we’ve got to keep Arthur at the club.”
One issue could be wages: last season, Wrexham paid just under half his Arsenal salary.
Defenders
Ben White (2028)
Having only signed a new contract in March, White is not going anywhere for the foreseeable future.
William Saliba (2027)
Saliba is another of Arsenal’s players under a relatively new contract. The club have acted swiftly to secure those they see as part of their core moving forward.
Gabriel (2027)
Gabriel’s contract was signed in October 2022. Given his stock has risen considerably since then, and Arsenal have had to fend off interest from Saudi Arabia, it may not be long before they have to sit down and talk terms with his camp again.
Oleksandr Zinchenko (2026)
Arsenal’s to-do list for the summer includes the acquisition of a new left-back. That could be interpreted as bad news for Zinchenko, whose deal expires in two years and he has not been engaged in talks about a renewal.
The Ukrainian, however, is determined to stay at Arsenal and fight for his place. He has even gone so far as to acknowledge his 2023-24 performances have been below-par.
“Personally, I completely understand that it wasn’t my best season so far,” he wrote on Instagram. “I promise first of all to all fans and doubters that I’ll be back much stronger.”
Jurrien Timber (2028)
Having missed the majority of his debut season with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury, Timber still feels like a new signing. He will form a major part of Mikel Arteta’s plans for 2024-25.
Timber played 22 minutes against Everton on the final day — his first appearance in the starting XI since injury against Nottingham Forest on the season’s opening weekend (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Jakub Kiwior (2028)
At the turn of the year, Kiwior’s prospects at Arsenal did not look particularly great. However, he chose to stay and fight for his place and was rewarded with a successful run in the team as a left-back.
Centre-back remains his primary position, but the form and fitness of Saliba and Gabriel prohibited him from getting many opportunities in that role. His aspiration is to compete for more minutes in the centre of defence.
After his strong performances in 2024, the likelihood is that Kiwior will remain with Arsenal this summer. That said, he is in the bracket where an attractive offer from elsewhere could change things.
Takehiro Tomiyasu (2026)
When Tomiyasu signed his new contract in March, Arsenal described it as “long-term”. That’s debatable: the deal runs until 2026, with the club holding an option to extend beyond that.
The relatively short deal may be connected to concerns over Tomiyasu’s capacity to stay fit. When available, it’s clear he is one of Arteta’s most-trusted defenders. So a departure for the Japan international this summer would come as a considerable surprise.
Cedric (2024)
The 32-year-old full-back is out of contract and will leave the club this summer. There is interest from Spain, Germany and Turkey, but there have been no formal offers as yet.
Nuno Tavares (2025)
Nottingham Forest have declined to take up their £12million option to make the loan signing of Tavares permanent. Given he made just five Premier League starts for them this season, that comes as no great surprise.
Tavares hasn’t made an Arsenal appearance for two years now and his representatives are free to find a buyer. If Arsenal can sell him this summer, they will.
Kieran Tierney (2026)
Scotland international Tierney has spent the season on loan at Real Sociedad. Unfortunately, it has been another campaign marred by injury troubles, limiting him to just 16 starts in all club competitions. The La Liga side have an option on a permanent deal but are unlikely to proceed with it at the value agreed with Arsenal.
As there is significant mutual respect between Arsenal and Tierney, there will be a conversation this summer to determine what happens next. His current intention is to leave, permanently this time, to play regular football. Perhaps the European Championship starting next month will provide an appropriate shop window.
Midfielders
Thomas Partey (2025)
When it came to the crunch, Arteta picked Partey. The Ghanaian started Arsenal’s last five games of the season, including significant wins over Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. Nevertheless, he remains a potential departure this summer. With just one year remaining on his contract, this represents Arsenal’s last opportunity to recoup some cash for a player signed for €50million in October 2020.
Partey, meanwhile, would be open to moving if it meant a longer contract that provided more security. Were he to leave, he would of course need to be replaced.
Declan Rice (2028)
Arsenal’s record signing enjoyed an excellent first campaign. He is at the heart of his manager’s plans for next season.
Martin Odegaard (2028)
Having signed a new contract in September, Arsenal’s club captain is going nowhere.
Jorginho (2025)
Arsenal have awarded Jorginho a one-year deal — recognition of his excellent performances this season, but also perhaps another indicator that Partey could be allowed to move on.
Mohamed Elneny (2024)
Elneny might well have left Arsenal a year ago. His contract was due to expire in the summer of 2023, but when he suffered an ACL injury, the club offered him an extra year to enable him to complete his rehabilitation in full.
But now, after eight-and-a-half years in north London, he will leave as a free agent.
Emile Smith Rowe (2026)
This looks likely to be a very important summer for Smith Rowe. After two seasons without regular first-team football, something has to change.
In 2022-23, he underwent surgery that effectively ruled him out for half of the campaign. This season, however, there were no long-term absences through injury. Despite that, he finished it with just three Premier League starts to his name.
Smith Rowe will turn 24 in July. All parties are aware he is at a point in his career where he needs to play more football than he has been doing.
This time last year, Arsenal sat down with the player’s representatives to make it plain he was not for sale. If the decision were purely down to Arteta, they might keep him around again. He knows Smith Rowe still has the potential to be a match-winner, hence bringing him on as his first attacking substitute during the final-day win over Everton.
But Arsenal have less leverage this year. Smith Rowe has just two years remaining on his contract, and the club may accept the time is right to sell.
Fabio Vieira (2027)
Remarkably, the last game Vieira started for Arsenal was in the Carabao Cup in November. Despite returning from groin surgery in February, he managed just 57 Premier League minutes before the end of the season and was an unused substitute in 14 of Arsenal’s last 17 games. Evidently, his status within the squad has diminished considerably. His performances in training have not enabled him to sustain his position in Arteta’s pecking order.
Vieira’s future may be tied to that of Smith Rowe. Losing both in the same summer would leave Arsenal light in midfield, and with considerable work to do to replace them. Perhaps only one will be allowed to go, with the decision being determined by who generates the most interest.
Albert Sambi Lokonga (2026)
After a season on loan at Luton Town, Lokonga is expected to move permanently this summer.
“I had a discussion with Arsenal and the conclusion was the best thing for me was to leave the club,” Lokonga told the BBC this week. “Now it’s up to my agent and the club to find something. I still have a contract there, one year plus a one-year option, so let’s see what happens.”
When fit, Lokonga performed impressively for Premier League newcomers Luton, despite their relegation. However, injuries meant he started only 16 games. That’s a bit of a recurring theme among the players Arsenal hope to sell this summer, and will inevitably affect their market value.
Charlie Patino (2025)
Academy graduate Patino has spent the season on loan at Swansea City in the Championship. Arsenal have one year remaining on the option they exercised on Patino’s contract, so this is their last opportunity to sell him to generate revenue.
Patino has struggled to find a pathway to first-team football under Arteta, so will likely welcome a fresh start. His father is Spanish, and the 20-year-old is said to be open to exploring options abroad as well as in England.
Patino — playing here for Swansea — made his Arsenal debut in 2021 as an 18-year-old (Athena Pictures/Getty Images)
Forwards
Bukayo Saka (2027)
Under contract, utterly adored and certain to stay.
Kai Havertz (2028)
When Havertz signed from Chelsea last summer, it was quite controversial. With his steady improvement since then, he has emerged as one of Arteta’s most trusted players.
Gabriel Martinelli (2027)
Not too long ago, Martinelli’s status in the squad was on par with Saka’s. Their paths have diverged a little since then and the season just gone was a little underwhelming from Martinelli’s perspective: six Premier League goals and four assists left him some way short of the previous campaign’s numbers. By the end of the season, he had been replaced in the first team by Leandro Trossard.
Despite that, it’s difficult to imagine Martinelli being sold, as Arteta’s system is dependent on speedy wingers. Arsenal arguably need to add another player of that profile, rather than lose one.
Martinelli ended up out of the first-choice starting XI at the end of the season (Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Gabriel Jesus (2027)
The Athletic revealed in April that Arsenal would be prepared to listen to offers for Jesus this summer. The question is whether any will arrive for a player with ongoing knee issues and a hefty salary.
Jesus’ quality and versatility mean he is still very valuable to Arteta, and the Brazilian wants to stay in London and fight for his place. Perhaps the best thing for all parties would be to focus on helping him get back to full fitness. A summer’s rest — having not been selected for the Copa America — could be just what’s required.
Leandro Trossard (2027)
After an outstanding season, Trossard is sure to form part of Arteta’s plans for 2024-25.
Ordinarily, a player who has surpassed expectations by as much as the Belgium international has might be in line for a new contract. But given that Trossard turns 30 in December and has a deal that runs until 2027 (with the option of an extra year), Arsenal will most likely feel relaxed about the situation.
Reiss Nelson (2027)
One Premier League start this season suggests Nelson may be on borrowed time at Arsenal.
He signed a new long-term contract last summer but, if anything, his first-team opportunities have diminished since then. So it may come down to what Nelson wants: is he happy to be a bit-part player at Arsenal? Or will he push to leave to secure regular football elsewhere?
Eddie Nketiah (2028)
It feels like Nketiah’s Arsenal career may have drawn to a natural conclusion. Between August and January, he started 10 of their 20 Premier League games. Since then, he has been limited to just eight substitute appearances.
Arsenal will hope to command a sizeable fee for a homegrown centre-forward who has played for England at senior international level this season. Like Nelson, however, Nketiah earns a significant wage. Potential buyers may have to offset their bids to compensate for inheriting his salary package.
Marquinhos (2027)
In February, Marquinhos returned to homeland Brazil via a loan to Fluminense. This summer, he might have been hoping to play in the Paris Olympics, but his country did not qualify for the tournament.
At this stage, his prospects of ever making a breakthrough at Arsenal appear slim.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
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