A raft of players are due to leave the Emirates Stadium today as Arsenal make room for a new wave of talent
04:30, 01 Jul 2026
Max Dowman and Harrison Dudziak of Arsenal during the Arsenal training session at Sobha Realty Training Centre
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Harrison Dudziak (L) is one of eight Arsenal players poised to leave the club today(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal will see no fewer than eight players walk out of the Emirates Stadium exit for the last time today. Yesterday marked the traditional contract date for most major leagues in Europe, with clubs across the country bidding farewell to a sea of talent.
The Gunners are no different and appear ready to freshen up the ranks with a new influx of stars this summer. However, that has resulted in the signing of just one new arrival thus far in the summer transfer window.
Mikel Arteta has welcomed defender Piero Hincapie to the club on permanent terms after spending last season on loan from Bayer Leverkusen. Hincapie played a key role in the team that ended Arsenal's 20-year search for a Premier League title and was swiftly snapped up for £34.5million.
Many fans will have been glad to see the Ecuadorian convert his temporary stay into a long-term commitment. However, they will also want to see completely new blood arrive, especially after releasing no fewer than eight former prospects today.
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Sam Chapman, Harrison Dudziak, Seb Ferdinand, Cam'ron Ismail, Will Lannin-Sweet, Josh Nichols, Samuel Onyekachukwu and Alexei Rojas-Fedorushchenko have each left the club. The reasons for each departure will be different, though most will be largely because Arsenal don't envision a first-team pathway in north London.
Wales under-19 international Lannin-Sweet signed his first pro contract just last summer but is already exit-bound. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Dagenham and Redbridge, but doesn't have another move lined up at present.
Meanwhile, Ferdinand, Nichols and Onyekachukwu are each among those to have signed their professional deals in 2024. Wide man Ferdinand became a regular fixture in the Premier League 2 but didn't do enough to convince the club of his senior credentials.
Sebastian Ferdinand of Arsenal challenges Charlie Penman of Brighton during the PL2 match between Arsenal U21 and Brighton & Hove Albion U21 at Meadow Park
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Seb Ferdinand made 16 Premier League 2 appearances last season but has been released by Arsenal(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Nichols, meanwhile, has agreed a move to Croat club Kustosija, which has just earned promotion to the country's second tier. Chapman, on the other hand, is due to travel to the United States, where he will play NCAA Division 1 football for Georgia Southern University.
Colombian youth goalkeeper Rojas-Fedorushchenko already addressed his exit earlier this summer. The South American spent eight years at Colney and described his days with Arsenal as "a true privilege."
He wrote last month: "Progressing through from the academy to the first team. Every step of the journey has taught me about what it takes to perform as an elite athlete, on and off the pitch. It has been a true privilege to work with so many elite people across the years...
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Arsenal have also agreed to sell former first-team hopefuls Jakub Kiwior and Karl Hein to Porto and Werder Bremen, respectively. Porto have paid an initial fee of £14.7m to sign Kiwior permanently following last season's loan, while the Gunners will get a more modest £2.6m for Hein.
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