Seven players who could still leave Arsenal this summer - including Nottingham Forest & Crystal Palace targets

It wouldn’t quite be fair to say that Arsenal are undergoing a rebuild this summer, but they’re certainly part of the way through a significant refresh of a squad which has contrived to finish as runners-up for three consecutive Premier League seasons – and even with the arrival of Viktor Gyökeres, the transfer work is far from done.

For the next few weeks, however, the focus of new sporting director Andrea Berta won’t be on new signings so much as ushering players out of the door, a cruel but necessary process in Arsenal’s attempt to build a side that can finally win a first league title in over 20 years.

As it stands, there are seven first-team players who could easily leave the Emirates this summer, ranging from high-salaried regulars of previous seasons to younger players who haven’t quite made the grade.

Oleksandr Zinchenko - AC Milan target

A stalwart of Mikel Arteta’s side not so very long ago, the versatile Ukrainian has moved from left-back to midfield to the bench, and is believed to be available to interest buyers this summer for the right price as he enters the final year of his current contract with the club.

A host of teams across the continent were linked with Zinchenko in June but the market seems to have cooled, in part because the 28-year-old is being paid £150,000 per week, a wage that few teams are prepared to match. AC Milan have perhaps been connected with a bid more than any other side, but their business so far this window suggests that new sporting director Igli Tare is unlikely to break the bank. Currently, it’s a toss up as to whether Arsenal find a buyer later in the window or accept that he likely leaves on a free transfer next summer.

Leandro Trossard

The Belgian forward, who can play right across the attacking line, is valued highly by Arteta but according to The Athletic, he could still end up on the chopping block if he doesn’t sign a new deal, negotiations over which have been dragging on for much of the summer.

Trossard is out of contract in 2027 and it seems as though Arsenal would prefer to sell at full price now rather than wait and lose him on a cut-price deal next year, with the arrival of Noni Madueke and Gyökeres (along with the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri) meaning that there is enough depth to ensure that losing Trossard would not be a disaster. There is no buyer lined up and no deal imminent – expect this to be a late deal, if it gets done at all. An extension seems like the most likely eventuality as it stands, but time will tell.

Reiss Nelson - on Fulham and Crystal Palace’s radar

The winger’s permanent departure seems pretty much inevitable after several seasons out on loan at various clubs in both the Premier League and overseas. Nelson has never quite lived up to the potential he flashed a few years ago when he started generating hype during a spell at Hoffenheim, and it looks as though the time has finally come for him to move on for good.

Fulham have cropped up as a likely destination, but the Cottagers have also been linked with a bid for former Arsenal loanee Raheem Sterling and seem unlikely to sign both. Crystal Palace have been mentioned too, with the possibility that Nelson could be used as a makeweight in negotiations over Eberechi Eze floated by some sections of the media – the less reliable sections, admittedly. The final destination isn’t definite as yet, but don’t expect him to be a Gunner at the start of the season.

Albert Sambi Lokonga & Fábio Vieira - Crystal Palace and Forest keen

Two players in much the same boat – signed within a year of each other, both Lokonga and Vieira created some early buzz but struggled to maintain any momentum at the Emirates and were both shipped out on loan last season, Lokonga to Sevilla and Vieira to Porto. They are both now seen as surplus to requirements and Arsenal are hoping to sell the pair in order to fund future transfers.

There appears to be slightly more interest in Vieira, with Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest mentioned in dispatches in recent weeks – although he is not a priority target for either side – alongside a number of mid-level clubs across Europe. By comparison, there has perhaps been less chatter surrounding Lokonga’s future, with discussions over a permanent move to Sevilla appearing to grind to a halt for now. Don’t be surprised if they reignite before the end of the transfer window, however.

Jakub Kiwior

The centre-back’s future has been up in the air since the start of the year, with persistent talk of a move to Serie A where both AC Milan and Juventus have been monitoring the Polish defender for quite some time – but as it stands, nothing tangible has developed and Kiwior was in the squad to face Milan in a recent pre-season friendly.

There is some chance that he ends up staying at Arsenal, especially with options at left-back looking relatively thin, but the signing of Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia means that the 25-year-old is not truly necessary any more and he is another player that Arsenal would prefer to turn into cold, hard cash. As the Gunners refocus on sales now that Gyökeres and Mosquera are on board, expect attempts to find Kiwior a new club to ramp up. His relatively small contract should make finding a buyer relatively easy.

Gabriel Martinelli

It would be hard to imagine, a year or so ago, that Martinelli could be anything other than a crucial part of the future of the club – but after a disappointing and inconsistent 2024/25 season, The Athletic suggest that it’s now possible that Martinelli moves on if one of Arsenal’s left-sided targets, such as Eze or Rodrygo, join before the window closes.

There is little detail in The Athletic’s reporting regarding Martinelli’s future and no suggestion that there are either active negotiations or a willing bidder in place, and it’s likely that Arsenal would be happy to keep him on the books for one more season at least, but it’s instructive that Arsenal would even consider a sale internally – an indication of a regime that would prefer to move on from players quickly at maximum value in the hopes of creating urgent improvement. What’s not clear is whether the money earned from a prospective sale would be necessary to fund a deal for a player like Eze or Rodrygo.