Arteta must axe Arsenal talent who Nwaneri thinks is a "top, top player"

Arsenal head into the summer with a new sporting director, Andrea Berta, and given the volume of work expected to be carried out, it’s just as well they’ve acted swiftly to appoint Edu’s successor.

Given Arsenal’s domestic plight this season, this summer is a crucial one for the Gunners as they go in search of adding the bodies required to help them lift their first Premier League title in over 20 years.

Top of Berta’s priority list must be a striker. Kai Havertz has been a solid signing, but he’s not your 20-goal-a-season man.

The likes of Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres, and of course, Alexander Isak continue to be linked with moves to north London.

Yet, this summer won’t all be about incomings. The Gunners need to get rid of a few bodies too.

Arsenal’s exit dilemmas this summer

There are a few players definitely expected to depart this summer with Scottish full-back Kieran Tierney set to bring his association with the club to an end when his contract expires.

It’s expected that Tierney will head to former club Celtic, the side he swapped Arsenal for in a £25m deal in 2019.

Midfielder Jorginho is also expected to depart upon the conclusion of his contract but against all odds, Thomas Partey looks set to stay.

The Ghana midfielder’s deal ends at the conclusion of the season and it was widely thought that he would depart but the Athletic’s David Ornstein reported last week that talks are being held over a new deal.

So, who else could take their leave? Well, Oleksandr Zinchenko – who was linked with Dortmund last January – has seen decreased game time and will likely seek pastures new.

If Arsenal sign a new batch of forwards then don’t be surprised to see Leandro Trossard flee the Emirates either. There has been Saudi interest in the enigmatic Belgian who has found a recent run of strong form.

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The other forward who must leave Arsenal

Over the last two seasons, there has been a common theme with Arsenal’s summer business. They’ve seen a batch of homegrown attackers leave the club.

In 2023, it was the turn of Folarin Balogun who after a rip-roaring season on loan in France, headed to Monaco in a permanent deal.

Last summer, Eddie Nketiah left for Crystal Palace, Mika Biereth headed to Sturm Graz in Austria and infamously, Chibo Obi Martin left to Manchester United.

Well, in 2025, it must be the turn of Nathan Butler-Oyedeji.

The striker is out of contract in the summer and it’s unlikely Arsenal will take the opportunity to renew his terms.

Now aged 22, the forward has still only played 27 senior games of football in his career, and the returns he has to show for those appearances are non-existent, failing to find the back of the net.

While it might be a harsh assessment, one has to be realistic here. Butler-Oyedeji is just one year younger than Saka. He’s four years older than Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly. While we wish him the best for the rest of his career, he’s not going to make it Arsenal, it’s as simple as that.

Despite that, it has been a landmark campaign for the young attacker who must have learnt plenty from his regular appearances in the Arsenal matchday squad.

He made his first-team debut against Dinamo Zagreb, appearing off the bench in a Champions League dead rubber a few months ago and then finally earned his Premier League debut last weekend, coming off the bench against Ipswich.

He’s rated highly, particularly by the aforementioned Nwaneri, who revealed that his “finishing is so good”.

It was a lovely moment indeed, but for a 22-year-old it’s for the best of his career that he goes out and finds regular first-team football at a senior level next season.

Arsenal are yet to see much of that expert finishing, but there’s no doubt he’ll have a successful career elsewhere. As we always say, one a Gooner, always a Gooner.

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