Arsenal confirm 13 players to leave club on free transfers with ‘negotiations ongoing’ with winger

Arsenal have announced that 13 players will be leaving the club on free transfers when their current contracts expire at the end of the month.

Heading up that list is midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles, bringing to an end the 25-year old’s 2-year association with his boyhood club. Maitland-Niles had been with the Gunners since 2003, graduating from the youth academy and making his first team debut nine years ago in 2014.

He spent last season on loan at Southampton where he made 26 appearances in all competitions having had a loan spell at AS Roma in the Italian Serie A the season before. The five times capped England international also had spells with West Brom and Ipswich Town earlier in his career and made a total of 72 appearances for the Gunners.

Of the 13 players who will be leaving the club, six were first team players on senior contracts. As well as Maitland-Niles, the other five are:

• Zach Awe
• Joel Ideho
• George Lewis
• Matt Smith
• Tom Smith

The other players leaving include four scholars and three players from the women’s team. They are:

• Kaleel Green
• Alexandar Kovacevic
• Tino Quamina
• Mathaeus Roberts
• Mana Iwabuchi
• Rafaelle Souza
• Fran Stenson

One senior player who is out of contract but has not been confirmed as being released is Reiss Nelson. The winger’s contract also expires at the end of the month but it has been confirmed that negotiations are ongoing with the 23-year old.

Nelson made 18 first team appearances and scored three goals in all competitions last season and appears to be attracting interest from other clubs who may be able to offer him more regular game time. The England youth international has previously spent time on loan at Hoffenheim in the German Bundesliga and at Feyenoord in the Dutch Eredivise.