One Arsenal player is now said to be weighing up his options and considering a January exit from the Emirates, despite manager Mikel Arteta persuading him to remain during the summer window.
Players who Arsenal sold or loaned out in the summer
Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, midfielder Mohamed Elneny, defender Cedric Soares, Portugal international Fabio Vieira, 24-year-old Albert Sambi Lokonga, left-back Nuno Tavares, winger Reiss Nelson and shot-stopper Karl Hein all departed the club over the summer, either on loan or permanently, and that's not even including sporting director Edu Gaspar's most headline-grabbing exit deals.
£120k-per-week Arsenal ace now top target for club in out-of-window deal
He’s the main priority on their agenda.
1 ByEmilio GalantiniSep 7, 2024
Striker Eddie Nketiah called time on his Arsenal career by making a £30 million move across London to Crystal Palace, as the forward looks to establish himself at Selhurst Park and hopefully work his way into the England set-up in time for the 2026 World Cup.
Before Nketiah's farewell, another Hale End academy graduate in midfielder Emile Smith Rowe signed for Fulham in what was a club-record potential £34 million deal for the Whites. The attacking duo will now be handed much more Premier League game time away from Arsenal, and it will be interesting to see where these moves will take their careers.
Tottenham (away)
September 15
Man City (away)
September 22
Leicester City (home)
September 28
Southampton (home)
October 5
Bournemouth (away)
October 19
Out-of-favour defender Kieran Tierney is also a rumoured top target for Istanbul Basaksehir, and with the Turkish transfer window open until September 13, the Scotsman could still make a move away for more guaranteed minutes – despite being surprisingly named in Arteta's Champions League squad.
Another player who was tipped to leave over the course of the window was Poland international defender Jakub Kiwior. The 24-year-old, who signed from Spezia in January 2023, made 20 top flight appearances under Arteta last term – scoring a goal and bagging three assists from left-back and featuring as a centre-half on occasion.
The ex-Serie A starlet put in some convincing displays at left-back, giving both Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko competition for the role, but Kiwior is by no means a guaranteed starter – especially after Riccardo Calafiori's arrival in the summer.
There were reports that Kiwior could've left after Calafiori joined Arsenal, but it is believed Arteta persuaded the player to stay in sit-down talks over his immediate future.
Kiwior considering January exit from Arsenal
That is according to The Boot Room, who also claim that Kiwior is considering a January exit from Arsenal.
Arteta and co convinced the Pole to remain until winter, but if he decides he wants to leave mid-season, TBR claim the north Londoners are ready to give the green-light for him to find a new home.
Kiwior, on £58,000-a-week, has interest from across the Premier League if he does opt to quit Arsenal, and a return to Italy may also be an option, as AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma and Bologna all made approaches in the summer.
“He has great potential,” said Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski in September 2022 when asked about his international team-mate.
"During the warm-up of the game with the Netherlands, I thought: ‘Who is this guy?’ Then, during the match, I saw that he is extraordinary.”