Arsenal duo expected to leave club after being left out of Community Shield squad

Arsenal are expected to lose two players in the summer transfer window that did not travel to Cardiff for today’s Community Shield final versus Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta’s men prevailed in a comprehensive 3-0 victory against Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City in today’s event at the Principality Stadium in Wales.

Goals arrived courtesy of Riccardo Calafiori then Kai Havertz in the first half, before a Martin Odegaard strike sealed the victory for Arsenal in the second.

New signing Christos Tzolis contributed two assists from the wing, after joining for a fee of nearly £35 million from Club Brugge in July.

The likes of Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze all started on the bench in today’s clash, with Bruno Guimaraes receiving a starting position in the midfield after signing for the Gunners earlier in August.

Manchester City experienced more possession, and took three additional shots throughout the 90; however, Arsenal created four Opta-defined Big Chances to their opponent’s one.

With a squad so deep in talent that Premier League superstars were relegated to the bench for today’s game in favour of others, it’s no wonder Arsenal feel capable of losing this duo, who did not travel to Cardiff and are expected to depart from the club this summer.

Arsenal set to lose Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri after duo miss Community Shield final

The Gunners are prepared to see the exits of Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri this summer, with neither player making the trip to Wales for today’s victory, according to a report from talkSPORT.

Martinelli played a sizeable role in last season’s Premier League title victory, making 30 appearances in all competitions for Arteta’s side.

Nwaneri remains the youngest player to ever feature in a game of Premier League football; however, Max Dowman almost dethroned his record and appears to be more favoured.

The Brazilian forward departs with 62 goals in 278 games for the Gunners, while Nwaneri leaves with 10 senior strikes since his ascension to the first team in 2022-23.

According to the report, both players could be Super Lig-bound, with the club having held talks with Galatasaray who wish to secure the duo’s services.

Last season’s Turkish top-flight champions are aiming for a historic fifth successive Super Lig title, but the arrivals of Mohamed Salah at Trabzonspor, Romelu Lukaku at Fenerbahce and fellow ex-Gunner Leandro Trossard at Besiktas could threaten their desired outcome.

Martinelli recently rejected a verbal offer from the Turkish side for his services, which amounted to nearly £40 million in what would have been a club transfer record for Galatasaray.

The report does not specify where Martinelli might go beyond the Super Lig, however, it is understood that he and Nwaneri no longer have a future at Arsenal. Whether that is a personal decision from either player, or a directive from the club, is also unclear.

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Following today's win, Arsenal have extended their lead as the most prolific champions in Community Shield history with 18 victories. They enter the 2026-27 season having already gotten to winning ways; however, the Gunners have never retained their Premier League crown in the club's history.