3 Arsenal players who won't return in the 2026/27 season

Arsenal need to build on their Premier League title win and it means that a few fringe names will not return for the 2026/27 campaign.

This could be tough job for Mikel Arteta. After all, many link his recent joys to the great improvement in squad depth as the Gunners have multiple stars in each position, leaving them well placed to avoid the worst effects of any injury crises.

But some still find game time hard to come by – regardless of the competition or the other options in their position – and the message to them is loud and clear: you are simply not part of any long-term plans.

Here are three Arsenal players who fans can expect to see moved on from north London before the start of next season.

3 Arsenal players who might leave the club before the 2026/27 season kicks off

1. Fabio Vieira

Is this the strangest transfer in Arsenal history?

There is stiff competition for that crown (Kim Kallstrom, anyone?) but Fabio Vieira ranks high among them.

He was not too well known in English football upon arrival yet fans had reason to feel excited once a deal materialised; Arteta claimed he would bring “high quality and versatility” to the attack while his Player of the Tournament award at the U21 Euros in 2021 naturally sparked hope that he would be a breakthrough star.

Indeed, his £34m price tag did much to raise expectations of what he might go on to achieve in a red and white shirt.

However, things did not work out in England and a poor loan spell back at FC Porto in 2024/25 failed to seal him a potential exit route.

Vieira fared much better for Hamburg last term – 13 goal contributions in 31 games only tell some of the story from his strong individual efforts. Even so, it feels like the ship has sailed on his Arsenal stay after four years on the books and one can only hope that the Bundesliga side will seek a permanent deal over the coming weeks.

2. Reiss Nelson

Reiss Nelson has flirted with the exit door more than most and he may just walk through it for good later this summer.

He joined the Arsenal academy in 2008 before making his first-team bow during the 2017-18 season under Arsene Wenger.

But he never truly established himself in the senior squad and has spent four of the past seven years out on loan (including each of the last two), with his latest one at Brentford ending in unspectacular fashion.

Nelson will report for pre-season in the coming weeks but he is obviously not part of the first-team picture for Mikel Arteta. The boss will likely consider offers for him, and at a knockdown price too as his deal expires in 12 months.

It is a sad way for his Arsenal journey to end but there is really no good reason for his time at N5 to continue beyond this close season.

3. Christian Norgaard

Others have hung around the Emirates for years; Christian Norgaard could be shipped out after just one campaign.

He came in as the Jorginho replacement last July and replace him he did, mostly by warming up the bench in his place. Norgaard has hardly featured at all for Arsenal since arriving, earning the odd cup appearance in both Europe and domestic competitions while he managed as much as 45 minutes on just one occasion in the Premier League – with that occasion being the final-day dead rubber against Crystal Palace.

Why did Arteta sign him? There were times when Martin Zubimendi looked exhausted while Declan Rice got run into the ground, yet Norgaard still failed to get a look in. If he is not good enough to help take the load off them amid great fixture congestion, then it seems like a waste of time to sign him at all.

The boss would be content to keep a leader and good influence around the place but Norgaard is just 32 – surely he feels himself that he can offer more than being the dressing-room cheerleader at this stage of his career.

As per the Athletic, Arsenal will listen to offers for him this summer. His minutes so far in the Gunners shirt suggest it is best for him to move on.

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