4 Arsenal players confirmed to be leaving this summer

Mikel Arteta is already looking towards the summer and beyond following the conclusion of the Premier League season.

It was a campaign which ultimately underwhelmed; one where the Gunners failed to mount a title challenge domestically and were in reach of the Champions League final but fell short.

Whether Arteta and Arsenal make the jump from nearly men to champions next season will be decided over the next few months, with a reshuffle expected in north London to best prepare the club for a pivotal campaign.

We can expect fresh faces to arrive, but we must also bid farewell to several stars to ensure the squad is streamlined. After the final-day win at Southampton, the boss confirmed the departures of four players at the end of the season.

Here they are.

1. Kieran Tierney

We've long known that Tierney would depart following the expiry of his contract at the end of June, with the left-back poised to reunite with Celtic back in his homeland.

Tierney perhaps played a bigger role than expected this season, although Arteta primarily used the full-back for late cameos off the bench. There were just a few starts, including on the final day at St. Mary’s. Tierney opened the scoring with a neat near-post finish from Ben White's cross, thus bidding farewell to the club in an unfamiliar fashion.

It was just his sixth goal for the club – and his first since November 2022.

The project ultimately moved beyond the Scot some time ago, but few supporters will ever have a bad word to say about Tierney. He's been the consummate professional during his time at the club.

2. Jorginho

Arsenal opted to extend Jorginho's contract by another season this time last year, but the midfielder is now set to depart the club as a free agent in June.

The Gunners pivoted to the experienced Italian three winters ago at the end of the January transfer window, and it's fair to say the former Chelsea man exceeded expectations at the Emirates.

Jorginho was never a star at Arsenal, but he was a valuable dressing-room figure whom Arteta leaned upon. He supplied control off the bench when needed, and benefitted from the security Arteta's system tends to provide.

Overall, this was one of the better pieces of business we've conducted in modern times, especially for the price, and Jorginho will soon join the Brazilian club Flamengo.

3. Raheem Sterling

"You're about the see the best of me," Sterling announced at the end of his arrival video last summer.

There was genuinely some excitement surrounding the Englishman, who was seemingly intent on proving a few folk wrong after joining the club on loan from Chelsea.

He was the extra attacking option Arteta was always going to rely upon this season, but Sterling never garnered the trust of the boss during his loan spell and it's no surprise that the club have no interest in extending his stay.

The winger barely notched 1,000 minutes of action in all competitions, scoring just once. He rarely looked to be of the requisite level, and when it's all said and done, we'll likely look back on this move in a similar vein to Willian's ill-fated time in north London.

Perhaps we should opt against signing a veteran winger from Chelsea next time the possibility arises.

4. Neto

You'd already forgotten about him, hadn't you? Perfectly reasonable.

Why, oh why did we sign this man? By the time Edu Gaspar worked his magic wand, Neto had already appeared in the Carabao Cup with Bournemouth, meaning he was cuptied for one of the competitions he surely would've ideally earned the bulk of his minutes in.

The Brazilian goalkeeper, signed as short-term cover following Aaron Ramsdale's departure, played just once for the club during his loan spell and was responsible for the goal he conceded at Girona.

Fortunately, David Raya enjoyed an injury-free year on his way to the Golden Glove, and Neto can return to the south coast like nothing happened in north London.

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