The end of the football season is an exciting time for many, with the big prizes handed out. May 2026 was certainly a great time to be an Arsenal fan, with the club finally winning the Premier League after three consecutive second-place finishes. All connected with the club will have been delighted with the campaign, despite their loss in the Champions League final to a brilliant Paris Saint-Germain side. But for many young players at the club, the great joy and excitement was tempered by an anxious wait to see if their Arsenal careers would be extended.
This is the time of year when clubs deliver some very good news to some of their players, but some heartbreaking news to others. There are other footballers who may be leaving the Emirates but their departure was expected, or even confirmed in advance.
On the 4th of June, the Gunners officially announced that 15 players would be leaving in the summer of 2026. That spanned men’s, women’s and youth football and one of the highest-profile departures was actually one of Arsenal’s women. England star Beth Mead departs the Gunners after 263 appearances and almost a decade at the club. Her farewell definitely falls into the category of one that was pre-confirmed, with her long-expected departure formally announced on the 11th of May.
In this article, we will focus on the male sphere, though, much as we wish Mead and the other departing women all the best.
No Senior Players Out of Contract
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Rather unusually, Arsenal did not have any senior players coming to the end of their contracts in June 2026. Player contracts typically run until the 30th of June, and it is a sign, perhaps, of how well Arsenal are being run at the moment that none of their first team players can leave on a free transfer this year.
Arteta and the club’s administrators have made sure that the players they want to keep are tied down on decent contracts. Moreover, most of their work in the transfer market has worked out well, meaning they do not have players that they can’t get rid of as they sit out their contracts.
There are two contracted male footballers at Arsenal who will be free to leave on the 30th of June, though. Aleksander Marciniak and Joshua Ogunnaike are not household names, but the club confirmed that although their deals are due to end:
Discussions are ongoing, and once matters are finalised between all parties, we will communicate in due course.
Marciniak, who is Welsh, managed four goals and five assists for the U18s last term, playing 25 times in the U18 PL. The 18-year-old is an attacking midfielder and that is an area in which the Gunners are strong but he is clearly a talented player.
Ogunnaike is a few months younger than his teammate in the U18 side. He made 16 appearances in the U18 Premier League last term. Born in London, he has dual English and Nigerian citizenship and as a left-back he has Myles Lewis-Skelly, who is still just 19, well ahead of him in the pecking order at the club.
Released Players
There are a number of players who will definitely not be at Arsenal next term, chiefly scholars who are not going to be offered a professional contract. Of course, this bad news came alongside the usual good wishes, the club stating that:
We thank all the players leaving us for their contributions to the club. Any further developments regarding players extending their contracts, joining/re-joining, or leaving us will be officially communicated once confirmed.
Consequently, this could be a fluid position in general and especially with the likes of Marciniak and Ogunnaike. As things stand, however, the following players have been released:
Sam Chapman
The centre back was born in Harlow and is another player aged 18. He had been with the Arsenal academy since 2016 and made his U18 debut for the club in spring 2026. In April, however, he signed for the US university side, Georgia Southern University.
Harrison Dudziak
Another of Arsenal’s talented attacking midfielders, London-born Dudziak turned 20 at the start of the year. He joined the club aged just 10 and has played in a range of positions during his time with the Gunners, including defensive midfield and as a striker. He made it as far as the bench for a Champions League clash with Sporting in April and will be of interest to a number of lower-league clubs.
Seb Ferdinand
Ferdinand was born in Watford and joined Arsenal in 2019. The wide attacker played 16 times in Premier League 2 last term, netting three times and providing one assist. Now aged 20, injuries in 2025 may have hampered his progress.
Cam’ron Ismail
Ismail has represented Egypt at U20 level but was born in Islington. The 19-year-old is primarily a left back, though he can also play higher up the pitch.
Will Lannin-Sweet
Lannin-Sweet has played five times for Wales’ U19 team but was born in London. Primarily a left-sided centre back, he spent the end of last season on loan with Dagenham and Redbridge. He played 10 times for the Daggers.
Josh Nichols
Nichols turns 20 this summer and joined Arsenal aged just eight, having had trials with a number of major London clubs. He appeared in a friendly for the first team against Man United in 2024, shortly after signing his first pro contract. He then played in the EFL Cup against Bolton but his career stalled. The London-born Arsenal fan is set to join Croatian second-tier side NK Kustosija once his contract expires.
Samuel Onyekachukwu
Onyekachukwu was a second-year scholar but will not be offered a contract. The Londoner joined from Watford’s academy in 2019 and is a right-sided central defender. The 18-year-old played 18 times in the U18 Premier League last term.
Alexei Rojas-Fedorushchenko
Rojas-Fedorushchenko was born on the 28th of September 2005, in beautiful Basildon, but has played for Colombia at U17 and U20 level. The goalkeeper was also part of the U20 squad that finished third in the 2023 U20 South American Championship, though he didn’t play. He was also part of the Arsenal side that made it to the FA Youth Cup final in 2023.
Retained List
Arsenal’s retained list is far longer and includes all first-team players plus a host of younger footballers from within the different age-group teams. There are also 13 scholars, listed below alphabetically. You might just notice a certain manager’s son on there!
- Arteta Bernal, Gabriel Sebastian
- Frohock, Marley Linnaeus Henry
- Hamill, Callan Johston
- Lupinski, Remigiusz
- Marciniak, Aleksander Dominik (Offer Contract)
- Ogunnaike, Oluwatoyosi Joshua Adewale (Offer Contract)
- Owusu-Gyasi, Abraham
- Phillips, Bowen Bradley
- Salmon, Marli Ellis
- Sampang, Saurap
- Stachow, Patrick
- Tahou, Joshua Jimmitry
- Talbot, Jack Edward
Gabriel is the oldest of Arteta’s three sons, and the winger, aged just 16, appears to have inherited a good deal of his father’s ability. Time will tell whether he makes it all the way to the top.