The only two Arsenal players surviving from the pre-Mikel Arteta era

Mikel Arteta has signed a new deal that will see him remain as Arsenal manager until 2030 and as his spell in charge grows closer to lasting a decade, he will continue to chop and change things at the Emirates Stadium.

Since first taking the reins in December 2019, the Spaniard has overseen a complete rebuild of the club both on and off the pitch, which has resulted in them evolving from mid-table dwellers to the current Premier League champions.

Much of the change has come in his setup with plenty of players coming and going over the years with only two of those from the pre-Arteta era still being Arsenal players.

The only two Arsenal players surviving from the pre-Mikel Arteta era

Of the depleted squad that Arteta took charge of on 20 December 2019, the only two that remain at Arsenal are Bukayo Saka and William Saliba, who had very different parts to play in the early stages of the Spaniard's managerial career.

Saka, who had broke through to become a first team regular in the final months of Unai Emery's term, was deployed as a left back for much of Arteta's first season in charge due to injuries among the defensive setup until Kieran Tierney's return allowed him to return to his favoured position on the wing, where he proved himself as a genuine attacking threat.

After being rewarded for his impressive performances with a new contract and the number seven shirt, Saka remained a crucial asset for Arteta and proved to be a saviour at difficult moments, potentially allowing him to keep his job.

Saliba's involvement was very different. With it being his debut season, the Frenchman was still on loan with Saint-Étienne, where he had signed from in the summer of 2019, and despite attempts to recall him for the run to winning the FA Cup, he didn't return to the club until the 2020/21 season.

Arteta didn't call on the young defender though, leading to another loan spell back to his home nation, this time with Nice, and then a full season with Marseille, which led to some fans believing Saliba wasn't trusted by the Arsenal manager and would prove to be a wasted talent.

That wasn't the case though as the France international returned to the club to become a key cog in a formidable defence from the 2022/23 season onwards.

While Saka and Saliba are the only two players remaining from the pre-Arteta era, the 2026 summer transfer window saw Gabriel Martinelli and Reiss Nelson leave having played their part in the early stages of the Spaniard's Arsenal spell while Granit Xhaka, Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny are among the previous servants to have left in recent years.

The fact that there are just two players left at Arsenal from before Mikel Arteta's time shows how much he has changed the club during his seven years in charge and he will be looking to continue that as he aims to begin an era of dominance after finally winning the Premier League title.

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