The 17 players waving goodbye to Arsenal today as Andrea Berta summer transfer rebuild continues

A look at the 17 players departing Arsenal on Monday with Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta looking to the future as summer plans take shape

In total 17 players will wave goodbye to the Emirates Stadium for good due to their contracts expiring on June 30. The list of stars leaving the north Londoners includes a number of high profile first team squad members, as well as budding youth players who are yet to make their mark on the game.

Among the players leaving the Gunners as things stand is Thomas Partey. The Ghana international was a mainstay in the first team during the 2024/25 season and Mikel Arteta had said he wanted the midfielder to stay. An agreement over an extension has not been reached, however, and Partey is now set to leave the club as a free agent. The former Atletico Madrid man is yet to officially post a goodbye message to supporters, and the club has not yet confirmed the departure, so there’s a small possibility an extension could be announced this week but, at this present time, Partey will not be playing his football at Emirates Stadium next season.

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One senior star definitely leaving is Kieran Tierney. The left-back quickly became a fan favourite after joining from Celtic in August 2019 and went on to make 144 appearances for the club and even scored on his last appearance against Southampton on the final day of last season.

“It’ll be hard but it’s a happy goodbye,” Tierney, who will rejoin Celtic on July 1, said in his farewell interview. “I’ve loved it here, loved every minute of it. There are countless memories that are amazing for me; your debut is always special, and winning the FA Cup as well in the first season. It’s a great team, and I’m so close to some of the boys in there. I’ve been here a long time, so it’ll be sad but a happy goodbye.”

Raheem Sterling and Neto spent the season on loan at Arsenal but will head back to Chelsea and Bournemouth respectively. Sterling scored just once in 28 appearances for the Gunners while Neto was no more than a backup to David Raya and featured just four times. It’s also worth noting that Jorginho is not included on this list as the Italian has already departed for Flamengo and in fact has already played for his new team at the Club World Cup.

There had been high hopes for Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, who made his debut for the club against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League and also came on against Ipswich Town in the Premier League. The 22-year-old forward will not be playing his football in north London next season, though, and has since been linked with a number of clubs across Europe.

Writing an emotional goodbye on Instagram, he said: “Dear Arsenal fans. After 14 years at this club my time at Arsenal has come to an end. I would like to thank firstly God for giving me the opportunity to realise my dream for playing for Arsenal. I want to extend my appreciation to the first team, my parents, all coaches, physios, chefs and cleaners and teammates I’ve worked alongside with and most importantly the life blood of the club, the fans.

“I want to thank everyone who has supported me along the way through my hardships and through my good times. Arsenal will always hold a special place in my heart as being a boyhood Arsenal fan it was a dream come true to make my debut for the club. I will always be a part of the Arsenal family. I look forward to where my journey takes me next.”

Jimi Gower, 20, was named on the bench several times during the 2024/25 season, as was fellow midfielder Jack Henry-Francis, 21, who will leave after nine years. Khayon Edwards, 21, will depart after a decent season for Arsenal’s Under-21s, where he scored 12 goals and assisted three more in 21 appearances, and should not be short of offers. The other youth stars who are leaving the club are perhaps not as well known but should still have bright futures ahead of them due to their undeniable talent.

The 17 players leaving Arsenal upon expiration of their contracts on June 30: Kieran Tierney, Thomas Partey, Raheem Sterling, Neto, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, Khayon Edwards, Jimi Gower, Jack Henry-Francis, Brian Okonkwo, Ismail Oulad M’Hand, Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand, Elian Quesada-Thorn, Jakai Fisher, Reece Clairmont, Romari Forde, Max Kuczynski, Zacariah Shuaib.