Arsenal have spent some of the summer making space in a squad that delivered their first Premier League title in 22 years.
Mikel Arteta has not overseen a mass clearout, but several senior players have moved on as the champions attempt to refresh without stripping away the depth behind their strongest side.
Leandro Trossard has been the most notable departure, with the Belgian joining Besiktas for an initial £15.3 million rising to £17 million.
Trossard was rarely guaranteed a starting place, yet his ability to operate across the front line made him one of Arteta’s most useful attacking options.
His exit has been followed by the arrival of Christos Tzolis, leaving Arsenal with a younger option on the left.
Arsenal’s confirmed summer departures | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Player | New club | Transfer | Reported fee |
Leandro Trossard | Besiktas | Permanent | £15.3m, rising to £17m |
Jakub Kiwior | Porto | Permanent following loan | £14.7m, potentially rising by £4.2m |
Christian Nørgaard | Everton | Permanent | Around £7m |
Karl Hein | Werder Bremen | Permanent following loan | Around £2.6m |
Total | £39.6m guaranteed, potentially £45.5m | ||
Christian Nørgaard’s short stay in north London is also over, as the experienced midfielder moved to Everton for around £7 million after struggling to earn regular minutes during the title-winning campaign.
Nørgaard remained an important voice behind the scenes, but Arsenal’s £75 million deal for Bruno Guimarães made his route into Arteta’s midfield even narrower.
Two loan deals from last summer have resulted in permanent departures as well, as Porto completed their obligation to buy for Jakub Kiwior at an initial £14.7 million. Karl Hein, meanwhile, joined Werder Bremen for around £2.6 million after spending last season in Germany.
Kiwior had become a dependable figure in Portugal, while Hein needed a clearer route to senior football than Arsenal could offer him.
Those four sales have generated almost £40 million in guaranteed fees, and they have also reduced the wage bill whilst creating room for Andrea Berta to keep adjusting a title-winning squad.
However, the next possible departure would be far more surprising and could concern the striker Arsenal signed only one year ago.
Viktor Gyökeres ‘offering himself’ to Barcelona on a daily basis
Spanish journalist Victor Navarro now claims Viktor Gyökeres has been making ‘daily’ approaches to Barcelona to signal that he would welcome a move.
Navarro says Lautaro Martínez is the club’s leading choice at centre forward, with Atlético Madrid chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin blocking Julián Álvarez’s exit, while Borussia Mönchengladbach youngster Nicolò Tresoldi is also admired.
Gyökeres is not Barcelona’s priority. However, the suggestion that he is pushing his name forward creates an unexpected issue for Arsenal before the deadline.
The Sweden international arrived from Sporting for £55 million last summer, with bonuses potentially taking the cost to around £64 million. His contract runs until 2030, leaving Arsenal in a powerful negotiating position.
Gyökeres returned 21 goals and three assists from 55 appearances in his debut campaign, and 14 of those goals came in the Premier League as Arsenal reclaimed the title.
Barcelona need a striker after Robert Lewandowski left for Chicago Fire and Ferran Torres joined PSG.
There is no indication that Barça have contacted Arsenal or that the Gunners wish to sell. For now, the movement appears to be coming from the player’s camp rather than either club, which is still a very intriguing development.
