1, 9, 14: What Arsenal players will change shirt number? | OneFootball

With more players set to depart Arsenal in the summer, there will be a few first team squad numbers up for grabs, so who could change?

There are very few numbers left open in the Arsenal first 11 as things stand.

But Bernd Leno and Alexandre Lacazette are just two of the first team squad who could be on their way this summer, freeing up shirt numbers 1 and 9.

That means we are likely to see Aaron Ramsdale, currently 32, given the number 1 shirt to wear, set as he seems to be, to be Arsenal’s first-choice for some time.

The number two is currently available after Hector Bellerin left on loan and it’s not clear if the club will give that to Takehiro Tomiyasu in the summer, although that seems like a smart thing to do.

Unless, of course, they do an even smarter thing and give to William Saliba.

a shirt with a troubled history.

Players like Davor Suker seemed to start the trend of players enduring disappointing spells in the shirt. He spent one year at Arsenal and scored eight times before leaving for West Ham.

Francis Jeffers joined next, and did even worse, only managing four goals in three years.

Jose Antonio Reyes did a bit better, with 19 goals in 69 appearances, as well as two trophies. Still, he never really lived up to the hype in North London. Julio Baptista took over and scored three goals in another short spell.

Eduardo da Silva looked like he’d bucked the trend initially, before a terrible leg break ended those hopes. Once he was gone, Park Chu Young became the new number nine, and made just one league appearance before leaving.

Lukas Podolski and Lucas Perez didn’t perform quite as poorly as their predecessors. Podolski managed 31 goals and 17 assists in 82 appearances overall, and Lucas got seven goals and five assists in 21.

When Lacazette signed, Arsenal fans hoped that the ‘curse’ had finally ended but it’s safe to say, as good as Lacazette has been at times, his return of 70 goals from 192 appearances has disappointed.

You then get to 11 to find the next available shirt, vacated by Martin Odegaard when he returned to Real Madrid, before he took the number eight when he came back.

12 and 13 are also available, last worn by Willian and Runar Alex Runarsson respectively.

13 is traditionally a goalkeeper’s shirt, so we will likely see that on the back of Arsenal’s new number two – Matt Turner, currently at New England Revolution in the MLS.

14 is, of course, now free after Arsenal and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang parted ways with Auba now wearing the 25 of Barcelona.

That should end up on the back of Gabriel Martinelli, who has been eyeing the shirt since he signed.

Speaking last year, Martinelli said, “I want to follow into Aubameyang’s footsteps, he’s a captain, he wears the number 14 shirt.

“That is a symbol for this club and of course, I hope to be very successful at Arsenal.”

15 is now free after .

After that, you have to go to 21 to find another free number, although that means skipping past 17 (Cedric) who many hope could leave if the right offer comes in.

22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, and 33 are all available until you get to Granit Xhaka who insists on wearing the stupid 34.

Eddie Nketiah is number 30 and will also be off in the summer, but that’s hardly a number anyone will be scrambling to get.