Arsenal have announced the departure of 15 players across their men's and women's teams as the club begins preparations for the new season. The news comes after the men's team suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, while the women's side also saw several key players leave.
Eight youngsters from the men's academy will depart at the end of their contracts: Sam Chapman, Harrison Dudziak, Seb Ferdinand, Cam'ron Ismail, Will Lannin-Sweet, Josh Nichols, Samuel Onyekachukwu and Alexei Rojas-Federushchenko. No first-team regulars are leaving, though the club has an option to buy Ecuador international Piero Hincapie for £45 million from Bayer Leverkusen.
In the women's team, seven players are leaving, including club legends Katie McCabe and Beth Mead. McCabe is set to join Chelsea, while Mead has been linked with a move to Manchester City. Also departing are Manuela Zinsberger, Laia Codina, Victoria Pelova, Barbora Votikova and Naomi Williams.
Manager Mikel Arteta has called for ambition in the transfer market following the Champions League final defeat. “We need to do better, we have to improve and we have to find different margins to get the outcome we want,” he said. “We are going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it, but it is going to demand us to be very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”
The club thanked all departing players, stating: “You will always be part of the Arsenal Family, and we wish you all the best of health and happiness in your futures.” Further announcements on contract extensions and new signings are expected in due course.
