Arsenal Last Game: 5 Players Who Have Likely Played Their Final Match for the Club.
As Arsenal prepare for another transition under Mikel Arteta, here are 5 players who have likely played their Arsenal last game based on contracts, form, and future plans.
Now it’s hard work would appear to be counting for something and its steady progress under Mikel Arteta has brought promise and also tough decisions. There is squad turnover, still ahead of us and more promising players on the way up, that means certain players will never don the red and white of Arsenal again. Whether it’s down to expiring deals, reduced game time or interest elsewhere, here are five men who you feel have just played their final Arsenal game as of the 2024–25 campaign’s conclusion.
The club’s player from 2016, Mohamed Elneny, has seen his role at the club shrink over the past two seasons. Chronic injuries and the emergence of younger midfielders in the form of Declan Rice and even Jorginho has seen him slip down the pecking order. There is a chance that Elneny has already played his last game for the Gunners, with his contract due to expire this summer and no extension expected.
Cédric has failed to secure a consistent starting berth since his arrival in 2020. Restricted in his showings and the emergence of younger, more energetic full-backs in Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu means his prospects at the club are bleak. Arsenal are not expected to table a new deal with a free transfer away or abroad on the horizon. His appearance there earlier this season might have been his final one in red and white.
🚨 OFFICIAL:
Cédric Soares leaves Arsenal. 🇵🇹
End of an Era. pic.twitter.com/6gMckpTYH0
While a product of Hale End and capable of brief moments of brilliance—most notably his 97th-minute winner at Bournemouth in 2023—Reiss Nelson has been unable to nail down a regular role under Arteta. Injuries, plus their lack of form this season, have hindered his development and, with further forward options possibly arriving in the summer, he could be offloaded. If a summer move goes through, his fleeting show in April will be his final game in Arsenal colours.
Nuno Tavares, who spent the last two seasons out on loan, including at Nottingham Forest last term, seems to have no future at the club. Despite how athletic he may be, the shakiness within his defensive game has never matched his gaffer’s tactical ideology. The Portuguese full-back has almost certainly played his last game for Arsenal thanks to the club’s willingness to listen to offers, and his Arsenal last game already occurred.
🚨 Arsenal will receive €9m fee from Lazio for Nuno Tavares as part of loan with obligation to buy clause.#AFC will also mantain a sell-on clause, while Albert Sambi-Lokonga returns to Arsenal after loan spell at Sevilla. pic.twitter.com/ycqUYy8WTJ
This would be more speculative, but likelier. Once considered a pillar of Arsenal’s future, Smith Rowe has been plagued by injuries and seen his starting spot taken away by the likes of Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz. Playing only sporadic minutes throughout the 2024–25 season and facing rumours of an exit to another Premier League side, supporters might already have seen his sentimental Arsenal last game without realising.
Squad refresh is natural at any big club, Arsenal are no different. As the team evolves further under Mikel Arteta, it could be that these men — all of whom have given something in their own way — are quietly drawing a line under their times. Whether because of age, injuries or tactical changes, their Arsenal last game may have already come before us, clearing the way for the next generation to rise. Goodbyes are painful, but goodbyes are imperative for growth.
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