Arsenal XI that should leave by early 2026, including £29.9m signing and title winner

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has some big decisions to make over the course of the next two transfer windows. The Gunners have fallen way short of the Premier League title pace this season, and while injuries have played their part, Arteta is also missing quality in key areas, and so recruitment needs to be evaluated.

New players will be needed, but Arteta is also going to need to be more ruthless in axing players who are not of title quality. Here we take a look at an XI made up players who should be axed by the end of the January 2026 window.

GK - Karl Hein

This one is tricky because Arsenal only have two senior goalkeeper on their books, one of which is on loan in Neto. Hein, who is on loan with Valladolid, is now 23 and he is yet to make a senior league appearance for Arsenal. He is most likely to leave, with Raya likely a long-term starter for the Gunners, while the club continue to pursue Joan Garcia as a likely number two, making Hein’s route to first team football even longer.

LCB - Oleksandr Zinchenko

Zinchenko has been tipped to leave over recent times and it’s no surprise. He is too good to be sat on the bench as often as he is, and he will know he can find regular first team football at a a Champions League club, even if it’s not one challenging for the title. Arteta replaced Zinchenko when he bought Riccardo Calafiori, and the Premier League-winning Ukrainian is likely to seek an exit.

CB - Jakub Kiwior

Links over Kiwior possible return to Italy just won’t go away. Despite once being a regular, the Poland international has hugely struggled for game time this summer and will surely leave in a bid to find regular football elsewhere.

RCB - Takehiro Tomiyasu

With so few likely to leave at centre-back, we’re having to get creative with the formation and go with a back three here. Tomiyasu has fallen down the pecking order, and he has missed all of this season with a troubling knee injury. His surgery means a summer departure is unlikely, but Arsenal could ensure he is gone by January if they feel he has no future, and especially if injuries continue to be an issue.

CM - Jorginho

This one may well take care of itself. Jorginho is out of contract and likely to leave this summer. It looks likely he will pen a deal to return to birth country Brazil, perhaps with Flamengo.

CM - Albert Sambi Lokonga

Lokongo doesn’t look to have any future at the Emirates Stadium having failed to make an impression during his time. He is currently out on loan with Sevilla and he is not likely to return.

CAM - Fabio Vieira

Another of the disappointing signings, Vieira has struggled for consistency since arriving from Porto for a deal worth an initial £29.9million. He is currently on loan with Porto, and the Gunners’ preference may be that he stays there.

LW - Reiss Nelson

Arteta seems to have given up on Nelson. The winger was sent on loan to Fulham where he was enjoying a good spell before his injury. The feeling is that the Gunners would have sold him if they could have, and they may try again this summer.

RW - Marquinhos

Marquinhos is still only 21 years of age, but it’s no secret that the Gunners are not delighted with his progress since his arrival in 2022. He has had four loan spells at this point and he is likely to be on the chopping block.

CF - Gabriel Jesus

Jesus was linked with an exit last summer and he is not likely to have a long-term future at the club. A summer departure now looks to be out of the question given the seriousness of his injury, but a January departure could well be on the cards. Arsenal need to upgrade the strikers room and Jesus is likely to be axed as part of the overhaul.

CF - Raheem Sterling

Not technically a striker, but Arteta did play him there against Manchester City recently, and that is qualification enough in the absence of strikers to pick from here. Sterling has not impressed during his loan spell and Arsenal will surely let him return to Chelsea this summer.