The five Arsenal players who are out of contract at the end of the 2023/24 season
Mohamed Elneny, Jorginho and Cedric Soares playing for Arsenal. TEAMtalk montage.
Arsenal have handed out five contract extensions in 2023 but some of their players face an uncertain future at the club.
Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale, William Saliba, Reiss Nelson and Gabriel Martinelli have all signed new deals with the Gunners, who have also opened talks over a long-term contract with Martin Odegaard.
But there are five Arsenal players who currently have less than a year left on their current contract and could leave on a free transfer.
Note: we’ve not included David Raya, who joined Arsenal on a season-long loan deal in the summer.
Jorginho
Jorginho swapped Chelsea for Arsenal on the final day of the 2023 January transfer window and put pen to paper on an initial 18-month contract.
The Italy international enjoyed an impressive debut half-season at the Emirates and made 16 appearances in all competitions.
But Arsenal revamped their midfield in the summer transfer window, spending a combined £170million on Declan Rice and Kai Havertz.
Jorginho is yet to start a Premier League game for the Gunners this season and has been limited to just 18 minutes off the bench.
The 31-year-old could fall further down the pecking order in 2024 as Arsenal are reportedly targeting Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
According to reports in Spain, Barcelona are keeping tabs on Jorginho’s situation and will open talks over a pre-contract agreement in January.
But Arsenal can prevent the midfielder from leaving on a free transfer in 2024 by triggering the one-year extension in his contract.
“Have we already talked about the renewal of the contract? Not yet,” agent Joao Santos told Tuttomercatoweb in the summer. “We have a contract – with an option – until 2025. For now, we are calm.”
Declan Rice on Jorginho 👀 🇮🇹 #afc pic.twitter.com/sKxvGHwnvn
— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) September 12, 2023
Mohamed Elneny
The longest-serving player in the Arsenal squad, Elneny joined the Gunners from FC Basel in a £7.4million deal in January 2016.
He has had to contend with a bit-part role at the Emirates and has made just 88 Premier League appearances for the Gunners.
But Arteta reportedly regards him as a hugely valuable member of the squad due to his experience and leadership in the dressing room.
The Egypt international signed a one-year contract extension in February 2023 after rejecting offers from clubs in Spain, Italy and Turkey.
Despite being on the fringes of the Arsenal team, he’s still hoping to extend his stay in north London beyond the 2023/24 season.
“The first ever interview I gave when I signed, they asked me about what I saw in the future – I said I wanted to be an Arsenal legend,” Elneny said in April.
“I still want to be that, I want to stay here as long as I can because of how much I love this club. I don’t think I would be able to go and play for a different team any more.
“That is why every day I come here to give everything, to make sure I can stay here as long as I can.”
Cedric Soares
Cedric, who joined Arsenal from Southampton in 2020, fell out of favour in 2022/23 after Ben White established himself as their first-choice right-back.
The defender spent the second half of last season on loan at Fulham but made just eight first-team appearances for the Cottagers.
He was widely expected to leave Arsenal during the summer transfer window and attracted interest from Everton, Olympiacos, Villarreal, FC Porto, Benfica and Sporting CP.
But the 32-year-old Portugal international ultimately decided to stay at the Emirates and fight for his place in the team.
“We’re very supportive of each other, we’re a family, even when we’re not playing,” he told DAZN Portugal. “Everyone wants to play and I also always really want to play, that’s what makes me competitive in football.
“It’s what gets me to training every day with that determination, but also to realise that we have to contribute, even if we’re not in the squad sometimes.
“That is the aspect I think I developed a lot at Arsenal. Sometimes you have to work for the group and not focus so much on yourself individually.”
He has been named in Arsenal’s Premier League squad for 2023/24 and could provide cover at full-back after Jurrien Timber sustained a potentially season-ending injury.
But Cedric doesn’t feature in Arteta’s long-term plans and his £75,000-a-week contract will expire at the end of the season.
Cedric Soares on the ball for Arsenal in February 2022
Runar Alex Runarsson
Runarsson joined Arsenal from Ligue 1 side Dijon in a £1.5million deal in 2020 and acted as a back-up to first-choice goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
But he made just six first-team appearances in 2020/21, including a disastrous performance against Manchester City during a Carabao Cup defeat.
The 28-year-old has since had season-long loan spells at Belgian side Oud-Heverlee Leuven and Turkish outfit Alanyaspor.
He returned to north London at the end of the 2022/23 season but fell further down the pecking order following the arrival of David Raya on a season-long loan from Brentford.
The Iceland international was linked with permanent moves to Lille and Anderlecht in the summer but joined Championship side Cardiff City on another season-long loan deal.
Runarsson will reach the end of his Arsenal contract by the time his loan spell finishes, although Football London indicates the Gunners have the option to extend his deal by another 12 months.
Arthur Okonkwo
After joining Arsenal’s academy at the age of eight, Okonkwo rose through the ranks and signed his first senior contract in July 2021.
While the goalkeeper hasn’t made a competitive appearance for the club, he did make it onto the bench for seven Premier League matches in 2021/22.
He then spent the first part of the 2022/23 season on loan with League Two side Crewe Alexandra and kept 10 clean sheets in 26 appearances.
The 21-year-old – who stands at 6ft 6ins – also impressed at SK Sturm Graz in the second half of last season and helped them win the Austrian Cup.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal were looking to sell Okonkwo in the summer as his contract expires at the end of the 2023/24 season.
But a permanent move failed to materialise, and he joined League Two side Wrexham on a season-long loan deal on transfer deadline day.
