It could be an emotional day for some members of the Arsenal squad tomorrow, Sunday.
Not only is it the Gunners’ last Premier League fixture of the 2024/25 campaign, it’s likely the last ever time some players will wear the Arsenal shirt.
Mikel Arteta will want his side to finish as strongly as possible, although second place in the league is all but wrapped up so the fixture at St Mary’s Stadium feels somewhat like a dead-rubber.
According to football.london, that may give the Spaniard the opportunity to give Kieran Tierney the send-off he deserves. The left-back is a firm fan favourite in north London and has served the club well since moving from Celtic in 2019 for a deal worth around £25million.
The Scotsman has struggled with injuries in recent years but has played a part this campaign, making 19 appearances in all competitions, although the majority of those have been off the bench. Tierney is expected to return to Celtic in July, with Brendan Rodgers’ side confirming the move in a financial report published earlier this year.
“During the January 2025 transfer window, we acquired the permanent registration of Jota and the temporary registration of Jeffrey Schlupp,” the report said. “In addition, we extended the contract of Kasper Schmeichel and entered into a pre-contract agreement that will see Kieran Tierney return to Celtic in July 2025. We disposed of the registrations of Kyogo Furuhashi and Alexander Bernabei and placed Luis Palma, Odin Holm, and Stephen Welsh on Loan.”
Jorginho is another Arsenal player who could exit Emirates Stadium this summer. Signed from Chelsea in January 2023, the Italian offered much-needed experience and quality in the Gunners midfield but looks set for a move to Brazil this summer.
The 33-year-old’s contract expires at the end of next month, and the midfielder appears to have agreed on a deal to join Brazilian side Flamengo. Flamengo is reportedly in talks with Arsenal regarding the prospect of releasing him from his contract early to enable him to play at this summer’s Club World Cup, with their first match against ES Tunis on June 17.
Speaking earlier this season, Jorginho’s agent, Joao Santos, suggested he was ready to launch talks with some interested parties. He said: “Jorginho has returned to London. From April 15, I will begin talks in England, including Arsenal, as well as teams from Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil.”
Neto and Raheem Sterling are two additional members of the squad who are guaranteed to wave goodbye to Arsenal’s supporters on Sunday. Signed on loan from Bournemouth, Neto has made just four appearances this season but did offer crucial support to David Raya. Sterling, meanwhile, joined the Gunners on a season-long loan from Chelsea but struggled to make an impact during his time in north London. He will return to Stamford Bridge having scored one goal in 27 appearances.
Football.london also reports that the future of Thomas Partey remains less clear. The midfielder sees his contract expire this summer but Arteta wants to keep the former Atletico Madrid star at the club.
The Spaniard told reporters on Thursday: “Well, there’s some question marks on a few of them, so we’ll have to wait and see. We still have another Premier League match to play on Sunday, and after that, we have some time to sit down and finalise a few things that have to be done.
“In regards to Thomas, consistency-wise, it’s been his best season. I think the way he’s played and performed, his availability has been exceptional, and he’s a really important player for us. Yeah [I want him to stay].”
Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Leandro Trossard have also been linked with moves away from the club in recent months so Sunday may be the last time Arsenal supporters see them in a Gunners shirt. The players will clap and cheer the away support on the south coast come 6pm on Sunday – an emotional day awaits.
