Arsenal’s Big Summer Shake-Up: 19 Players Out, Including Elneny and Soares!
Arsenal is set for a major squad overhaul this summer, with 19 players, including long-serving Mohamed Elneny and Cedric Soares, leaving at the end of June.
Egyptian midfielder Elneny and Portuguese full-back Soares will become free agents on June 30, as manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu aim to revamp the squad after falling short in the Premier League title race to Manchester City.
Elneny, who joined the Gunners from Basel in 2016, has been a loyal squad member, clocking up 161 appearances. Despite his dedication, the 31-year-old saw limited action this season, making just six appearances due to the presence of Thomas Partey and Declan Rice in midfield.
Soares, who arrived from Southampton in 2020, also struggled for game time, playing only six times this season. He leaves Arsenal after 64 appearances, seeking more opportunities elsewhere.
Another notable exit is Arthur Okonkwo, a 22-year-old goalkeeper who impressed on loan at Wrexham. Reflecting on his time at Arsenal, he said:
“It’s been an incredible journey, from joining at the age of eight, I’m now 22 and I’ve been there for 15 years which has been brilliant because I’ve worked with amazing people, from the academy to the first-team. It’s a bittersweet moment because I have to start a new chapter as I’ve had so many great years at Arsenal but, in the last two years, I need to keep playing and carry on my journey. I’m still really ambitious to play at international level. I can still play for England or Nigeria and I’ve not made a choice yet. I think, at 22, you are still young as a ‘keeper and to have played this much, had so much experience can only help because my position is probably a lot tougher than people think.”
Arsenal is still in discussions with attacking midfielder Amario Cozier-Duberry, goalkeeper Karl Hein, and defender Reuell Walters about potential contract renewals. Walters, a 19-year-old center-back, is considering leaving in search of regular first-team football.
Here’s the complete list of players being released:
– Mauro Bandeira
– Omari Benjamin
– Luis Brown
– Catalin Cirjan
– Noah Cooper
– Henry Davies
– Ovie Ejeheri
– Mohamed Elneny
– Taylor Foran
– Hubert Graczyk
– James Hillson
– Henry Jeffcott
– Tyreece John-Jules
– Alex Kirk
– James Lannin-Sweet
– Arthur Okonkwo
– Kamarni Ryan
– Cedric Soares
– Kido Taylor-Hart
Stay tuned for more updates as Arsenal navigates this transformative summer!
