Arsenal have five players out of contract at the end of this season, two of whom are currently on loan at the Emirates, but how many will stay put?
The Gunners are going through a sticky period in their season, with an element of pressure growing on Mikel Arteta, but they still have hopes of winning the Premier League title and the Champions League.
Improvements are clearly needed for both of those things to happen, while key players need to return from injury, but they have shown that they are made of stern stuff under Arteta in recent years.
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While many important players are tied down to contracts for the foreseeable future, there are five individuals whose deals expire later this year:
1
Jorginho
Contract expires: 30th June 2025
Jorginho has been an impressive signing for Arsenal since arriving from Chelsea, adding plenty of experience and control to the midfield. While not always a guaranteed starter, he has rarely let the Gunners down.
However, the midfielder is out of contract at the end of the current campaign, and considering he has just turned 33, the club have a big decision to make over his future.
Arteta and those high up at Arsenal may feel that this summer is the right time to allow Jorginho to move on to pastures new, considering his very best days are now likely behind him.
Getting him off the club’s wage bill would free up funds for a younger signing, so parting ways could make the most sense. The player himself may also like the idea of a fresh challenge in the autumn of his career, with agents believed to be in talks over his exit.
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2
Thomas Partey
Contract expires: 30th June 2025
Thomas Partey has enjoyed a strong season for Arsenal, starting 16 matches in the Premier League, not to mention scoring and assisting twice apiece for good measure. While at his best in defensive midfield, he has also done a job at right-back, displaying his versatility.
Now 31, Partey isn’t getting any younger, and as is the case with Jorginho, the Gunners have to weigh up whether to offer him an extension at the end of the season.
Granted, the Ghanaian is younger than his fellow midfield teammate, but equally, handing him a sparkly new deal in his early 30s would be a risk, especially as the player may want a relatively longer-term contract of some kind at this stage.
The fact that Partey hasn’t always been the most available player because of injuries could also be a factor in Arsenal’s decision, and it is easy to envisage them letting him go in the summer, for all his strengths as a footballer. Reports have suggested that could well be the case.
3
Kieran Tierney
Contract expires: 30th June 2025
Kieran Tierney’s time at Arsenal has ultimately been underwhelming, having arrived at the Emirates as one of the most exciting young full-backs in the UK.
The Scot was loaned out to Real Sociedad last season, suggesting that Arteta didn’t see him as an important part of his plans, and it now feels like a case of when he leaves, rather than if.
Tierney has been strongly linked with a return to former club Celtic during the January transfer window, which could appeal greatly to him, but it remains to be seen if he will end up back at Parkhead this month. A pre-contract deal could be agreed instead.
There would be a risk in that for Arsenal, considering they aren’t exactly littered with fit left-back options, so it may be that they wait until the summer to move him on. A January exit shouldn’t be ruled out, though.
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4
Neto
Contract expires: 30th June 2025
Jorginho, Partey and Tierney are all on permanent deals that expire at Arsenal in 2025, but Neto is one of two loanees whose contract will also be up in the summer.
The 35-year-old joined the Gunners on loan from Bournemouth to spend the 2024/25 season in north London, but no playing time has come his way.
Neto has not made a single appearance since his move from the Cherries, with David Raya predictably remaining first-choice between the sticks, and he will naturally depart when the campaign reaches its conclusion, with little hope of any renewal.
5
Raheem Sterling
Contract expires: 30th June 2025
Raheem Sterling’s Chelsea career was growing stagnant when Arsenal came calling in the summer, with the Gunners snapping him up on a season-long loan deal.
There was hope that joining an exciting Gunners side could spark the 30-year-old back into life, but it has been a season to forget for him so far, with the winger struggling to have any kind of telling impact.
Sterling has only managed 12 appearances for Arsenal, with an injury absence not helping, while just one goal in the Carabao Cup has come his way. Arteta desperately needs him to stand up in the absence of the injured Bukayo Saka, but as things stand, he looks like a player whose best days are now firmly behind him.
Unless there are drastic improvements from the Englishman between now and the end of the season, Sterling will surely be shipped back to Chelsea in the summer, at which point he could be sold permanently by the Blues. The move was worth the risk for Arsenal, but it hasn’t been successful so far.
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