The 6 Arsenal transfer decisions facing Mikel Arteta this summer, including player with 36 appearances

The January transfer window is now over and done with, but Mikel Arteta and his staff will already be considering what decisions they will have to make in the summer window.

Arteta may be tempted to overhaul his squad, or at least the edges of it, with the need to add quality in certain positions, and especially up top. Here we take a look at the possible exit decisions facing the Spaniard this summer, just keep in mind Kieran Tierney is omitted because he is all-but certain to join Celtic at the end of his contract, as Brendan Rodgers has already confirmed.

Jorginho

Jorginho is likely to depart at the end of his current contract, with rumours that he will agree a pre-contract to return to Brazil. Arteta will need to decide whether he will offer the veteran a new contract, but it looks as though he will allow him to depart.

Thomas Partey

Partey is another player out of contract this summer, but he does have a much better chance of getting a new deal. Partey has been criticised at times, but often when he is slotting in at the back and playing out of position. He is versatile and still a more than good enough Premier League player. Still, Arteta will need to consider whether to upgrade.

Gabriel Jesus

Jesus is under contract until 2027, and he is likely to be out injured with an ACL tear until the back-end of this calendar year. That means Arsenal are unlikely to be able to offload him until the next January window, if indeed they want to. Jesus hit a purple patch before his injury, but if Arsenal bring in another forward and another winger as expected, he will surely drop further down the pecking order. You wonder whether Jesus’ long-term future lies elsewhere.

Jakub Kiwior

Kiwior seemed to be pushing for an exit heading into the January window due to a lack of appearances this season, but the Gunners decided to keep hold of him. Despite that, Kiwior is going to struggle to get regular appearances going forward, and he will surely be moved on to find a new club in the summer.

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Zinchenko is another who has struggled to appearances, albeit to a lesser degree. Arteta will lean on Zinchenko as a back-up option, but he doesn’t seem to value him as a starter. The Ukrainian is good enough to be a start in a top division, and he may be forced to look elsewhere to become one again. His contract is also set to expire in 2026, so Arsenal may be forced into a decision this summer.

Leandro Trossard

This one comes in as a bit of a curve ball. Trossard is a regular under Arteta, making as many as 36 appearances across all competitions this season, but that is likely to change next season. It has been made clear this season that the Belgian should only be a squad player for a club like Arsenal. He struggled mightily to replace Martin Odegaard early in the season during the Norwegian’s injury, and when he is playing wide, Trossard can do a job but looks like an attacking midfielder playing out of position. Arsenal need better depth out on the wing, and they may feel they can do better in terms of a back-up for Odegaard while bring in a good fee for Trossard. This isn’t a likely sale, but it’s one Arteta may have to consider amid financial fair play considerations.

The loan exiles

These players don’t figure into the listed decisions here, but they are worth noting. Some of the exiled players, like Nuno Tavares, have options to buy in their loan deals, bu Arteta will have to consider the futures of others. Albert Sambi Lokonga looks to be on his way out for good, while Karl Hein may also depart.

Fabio Vieira may have a future but is yet to convince, while Reiss Nelson and Marquinhos may also be on the chopping block having spent this season out on loan.

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