Arsenal’s THREE players out of contract in 2026: Keep or sell?

Robin Bairner

Updated: 17 Feb 2025 08:22 GMT
2 min read

Arsenal face a big summer transfer window, with the signing of a new striker naturally top of Mikel Arteta’s list of priorities.

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A string of injuries have underlined how short Arsenal are offensively, with the Gunners set to conclude the campaign without a recognised centre-forward as Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus nurse problems.

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But Arteta is a manager who always has one eye on the future and, naturally, that means working out what to do with the three stars who will find themselves out of contract in 2026. The summer represents the last chance to sell these players for significant money, but who are they and what is the club likely to do?

Which Arsenal players are out of contract in 2026?

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Leandro Trossard

When Tomiyasu signed a contract extension with Arsenal in March 2024, the Japan international claimed that he would “dedicate my life for this club”.

At that time, Arteta praised the full-back’s attitude and application in training, yet he has endured a frustrating 2024/25 campaign that has been plagued by injury and has restricted him to just six minutes.

Having spent much of the last 18 months out, it would be understandable if Arsenal sought to sell him out, despite his excellent service to the club.

Zinchenko is likely to be on the transfer market this summer. Once a key figure at the Emirates, Arteta’s tactical plans seem to have evolved beyond the Ukraine international star, who can feature either as a left-back or a central midfielder. There will be no shortage of teams interested in him.

Finally, Trossard is likely to be handed a new deal, with FootballTransfers revealing that contract talks had a recent breakthrough in the trip to Dubai. His versatility across the forward line is precious for Arsenal, and while he may only be a bit-part player, his importance between now and the end of the season will be huge.