Morning all.
Arsenal Football Club announced who is leaving this summer and it’s a long list although mostly made up of academy players. Just in case you missed it, here is that list in alphabetical order.
Nathan Butler-Oyedeji
Reece Clairmont
Khayon Edwards
Jakai Fisher
Romari Forde
Teyah Goldie
Jimi Gower
Jack Henry-Francis
Lina Hurtig
Amanda Ilestedt
Jorginho
Max Kuczynski
Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand
Ismail Oulad M’Hand
Neto
Brian Okonkwo
Elian Quesada-Thorn
Zacariah Shuaib
Raheem Sterling
Kieran Tierney
In addition, the following players’ contracts also expire on June 30, 2025. Discussions are ongoing, and once matters are finalised between all parties, we will communicate in due course.
Chloe Kelly
Thomas Partey
Michal Rosiak
I hope Chloe Kelly agrees to stay and I think she will, especially after her comments about how being back at Arsenal has brought her love for the game back. Not only that, she has been playing really well.
We all know about Thomas Partey and what he brings to the team but whether he ‘should’ stay or go probably brings a mixed opinion amongst the fan base.
Michal Rosiak is an interesting one though. I know nothing about the player other than what I have read on Jeorge Bird’s website:
The Poland youth international, 19, was one of Arsenal’s standout performers at U21 level last season and also received his first competitive call up to the senior squad as he was named on the bench against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
A free-kick specialist who can play at right-back or in midfield, Rosiak frequently trained with the first-team squad towards the end of last season.
I know the jump from under 21’s to the first team is huge but Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff must have seen something good in Rosiak otherwise Arsenal wouldn’t be trying to keep him. He’s been at Arsenal since his family moved to England in when he was 11. One to watch perhaps.
This time of year is always kind of sad, as far as Arsenal goes I mean because when I see the long list of academy players who leave for free I wonder why they didn’t make it. So many go from training with the first team, being in the squad on a match day to being on the bench and then gone. For nothing, not a penny. I always hope their future in the game is bright whilst secretly hoping they don’t pop up against us in a Barcelona shirt or similar in the future.
There’s an article in The Athletic this morning which I think is very good. Within it is the below photo detailing our squad and players contract situation.
As it stands and not including Nwaneri or Lewis-Skelly, we have a three players going into their final year of contract, Zinchenko, Tomiyasu and Lokonga. Two are sellable but poor old Tomiyasu is still injured. As is Gabriel Jesus so selling either probably isn’t an option.
In any case, the more we sell this summer, the more we need to sign. After all, our small squad from last season is already smaller with the departures of Jorginho, Tierney, Neto and Sterling.
Catch up in the comments.
We once had Mika Biereth in our squad and Arteta refused to give him so much as a sniff of first team football, and we sold him in a cut-price deal to Sturm Graz. In less than a year, SG were able to sell him for almost 4 times what they paid us for him, and Monaco will make even more money should they cash in on him this summer.
It is baked into academy math that not every player will make it, in fact, most of them won’t, but the fact that we had such a capable striker on our books and sold him because Arteta couldn’t identify the talent right under his nose is extremely worrying. What would you have given to have had Mika available last season, for example? And, it appears Arteta refused to learn from the mistake because, once we were shorn of first team strikers, he refused to give any academy player a shot. Have we let another Mika Biereth go now because of our manager’s shortsightedness? Only time will tell.
Tavares just confirmed as gone on perm deal
In addition Vieira Nelson must go!
MrB. I’m of the same opinion re Biereth, a really crazy move by Arsenal.
According to reports, Lazio paid us £6m for Tavares and now they are looking to sell him for more. The mind boggles.
Arsenal ‘very close’ to sealing Konstantinos Karetsas transfer in record deal – The Mirror
Arsenal have opened negotiations with Genk over a deal for their midfield starlet Konstantinos Karetsas, who has already been courted by some of Europe’s top clubs.
He’s 17 with a £38m transfer valuation apparently…
https://youtu.be/7goPyRQagfI?si=11rRaGNN7ISJpcnm
@rico, we have Ethan in the squad who can play as a 10 or wide right. The idea of going out and splashing £38m on a 17 year old in a position we do not need while ignoring the glaring gaps in the squad is both utterly mental and absolutely on-brand for Arteta. If this deal is sanctioned, everyone involved should be fired.
I know MrB. It’s all rubbish I’m sure..
It’s all Greek to me?
Gobbledygreek…. Lol
Another bubble? We’ve had a couple before, they never made it. 😕
Former Juventus Head of Scouting and Granada director Matteo Tognozzi, currently in advanced talks to sign at Arsenal.
He’d be part of the team working under Andrea Berta.
[Fabrizio Romano]
Just a slight question though MrB……if you had the chance to sign a 17 year old Messi, Ronaldo or Yamal would you pass it off because we had Nwaneri and Odegaard??
It might be just paper talk or it might be real.
but whatever it is we need to keep investing in youth as well.
I’d rather we signed footballers first..
If he signs and stays put on loan as reports suggest and we get to the start of the new season without making the signings we need, then it will have been a daft deal surely.
its a double edged sword Rico. While we all love to sign top footballers one needs to look at all the picture.
The only drawback I see in signing young players is that they have to be given a chance in the first team. Not because of injuries but as a sign of faith in their ability and development.
replying to your 4.48 comment Rico….I doubt that we will play all that up front. It will be in installments spread over 3-5 years while he is still developing.
The number and turnover of Juventus players is incredible. They mostly seem to sign older players and very little emerges from their academy. They also change managers as often as Kier Starmer changes his policies.
The principle remains the same though Devil.
I don’t think that Nwaneri or for that matter Saka’s future is on the right wing only, I can see both of them playing inside, in fact there’s no reason why they can’t play on the left, this Greek kid if he’s worth £38m – a considerable fee even if it’s in performance related clauses – should be able to play across the midfield, up front, flanks etc for that kind of outlay?
I’d like to see the club signing young, hungry, ambitious players, like the boy from Blackburn for example, as well as more experienced players.
The most of all I’d just like to see us sign someone….
But most of all
Ditto Kev. I get the need for talent spotting but not at the expense of the first teams needs.
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13379660/arsenal-transfer-news-gunners-interested-in-real-madrid-winger-rodrygo-as-striker-and-winger-shortlists-revealed
If we as a club really are in June, still not knowing who to sign then we really are in a mess…
That Sky item is just a re-hash of all the rumours that are flying around the blogosphere. Nothing new, nothing even remotely factual. All a load of old pony! 😉
I hope so..
Arsenal considering potential deal for Kepa
Latest from Sky in Italy’s Luca Bendoni:
Arsenal are considering a deal for Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Kepa, who spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, is available for £5m because of a release clause in his contract.
sounds like Tavares has been sold for 6million pounds,
Bongiorno everyone
Kepa I wouldn’t mind. Infact for just 5 million he would be a good investment. He is EPL experienced and from all the Chelsea rejects we had he’s the one whom I don’t feel apprehensive about. Having said that I would have preferred Kelleher from the dippers. But with regards KEpa I feel we’ll be ok
Chelsea paid £72 million for Kepa in 2018, he’s 30-years-old so has a few years left in the tank but will want a hefty wage and may not want to play second fiddle to Raya.
Gyokeres is said to be open to a move to Man.U, so is lacking in ambition if he’s willing to play for a lower tier team without European football.
Morning guys.
Kepa is a good option imo too. Although it seems a bit odd that we haven’t already a plan for the signing of a keeper.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6405119/2025/06/06/arsenal-transfer-window-karetsas/
New post up.
With good news 😂😂