Arsenal free agents: The ones Arteta should look for
The summer of 2026 presents a genuinely rare opening in the free agent market, and Arsenal are in a strong enough position, financially, tactically, and reputationally, to take full advantage of it. Three names stand out above the rest as the best Arsenal free agents the Gunners could sign without spending a single pound in transfer fees, and each one directly addresses a real gap in Arteta’s squad.
1. Leon Goretzka:
Leon Goretzka will leave Bayern Munich when his contract expires at the end of the season, with the club confirming no renewal will take place after eight years at the Allianz Arena. According to German journalist Christian Falk, Goretzka has identified Arsenal as his preferred destination, believing his physical and technical traits suit the intensity of Premier League football.
Arteta wants a third midfielder who can carry the ball, press aggressively, and arrive late into the box, exactly the profile Goretzka fits. Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi cover the base and the build-up, but neither replicates the box-to-box dynamism Goretzka brings.
The 31-year-old reportedly wants a three-year deal worth €7 million per year, plus a €10 million signing-on fee. Given what Arsenal paid for Zubimendi last summer, these are numbers the club can absorb comfortably for a player of this pedigree.
2. Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva will walk away from Manchester City as a free agent in June 2026, with the club informing him that his contract will not be extended beyond its current expiry. The 31-year-old Portugal international has confirmed he will decide on his next club before the 2026 World Cup, with Juventus, Barcelona, and Galatasaray all competing for his signature.
Arsenal Injury News & Latest Updates – White, Merino & Timber
Arsenal’s wide positions already have plenty of pace and directness. However, the squad lacks a player who creates through clever movement, sharp combinations, and intelligent positional play in tight spaces, which is Silva’s natural habitat. He spent nine years winning almost everything available at City, bringing a Champions League, six Premier League titles, and a level of big-game experience Arsenal’s front line still needs. His availability on a free represents a significant opportunity to add a world-class operator without the kind of fee that would normally be attached to a player of his calibre.
3. Dusan Vlahovic
Dusan Vlahovic‘s contract at Juventus expires on 1 July 2026, and Fabrizio Romano confirmed earlier this year that no extension talks have taken place. The 26-year-old Serbian rejected the club’s £5 million-per-year offer, demanding closer to £7 million. As a result, he will leave the Allianz Stadium as a free agent this summer.
Arsenal first tried to sign him in January 2022, only for Juventus to beat them to his signature with a £67 million fee. Four years later, the situation has flipped entirely, and according to Mundo Deportivo, Arsenal have rekindled that interest and sit alongside Bayern Munich and Barcelona in the race for his signature.
3 players Arteta must immediately sell at Arsenal
Gabriel Jesus is expected to leave the Emirates, and Viktor Gyokeres had a patchy debut season in north London. Bringing in a 26-year-old striker of Vlahovic’s calibre, 56 goals in 141 Juventus appearances, without paying a penny in transfer fees, would be an extraordinary piece of recruitment. His wage demands and potential signing-on fee carry a cost, but compared to the £60-80 million a striker of that profile would normally command in the current market, the numbers still work firmly in Arsenal’s favour.
The free agent market in summer 2026 is one of the strongest in recent memory, and Arsenal are positioned to take full advantage. Goretzka appears closest to a done deal. Silva remains the most ambitious target. Vlahovic is the one that the Gunners should have signed years ago, and this time, the price is right. Together, these three Arsenal free agents would give Arteta the depth and quality to make a genuine title defence and compete at the very top of European football.