Where are they now? The 12 Arsenal strikers sold by Mikel Arteta since 2019
Since Mikel Arteta arrived at Arsenal in 2019, the club have offloaded 12 strikers, but where are all of those players today?
With the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka currently out injured, it’s fair to say that the Gunners are lacking some firepower right now.
We’ve gone back throughout Arteta’s time as Arsenal boss and have checked up on the 12 forwards that have been sold since he’s been at the club.
Sam Greenwood
While Greenwood is predominantly known as an attacking midfielder, he has played as a striker on multiple occasions and therefore qualifies for this list.
After spending two years in the Arsenal academy, the club cashed in on the youngster in August 2020 when Leeds United came calling.
Leeds reportedly paid a fee of £1.5million for the forward, although that could rise to £3million if certain clauses are met.
The 23-year-old is still on the books at Elland Road today, although he has spent the last couple of years out on loan. After spending last season with Middlesbrough, he’s currently playing for fellow Championship side Preston North End.
Across all competitions, he’s produced seven goals and two assists for Paul Heckingbottom’s side this season.
Alfie Matthews
Matthews was released at the end of the 2019-20 season after spending 11 years with the club’s academy.
The young forward initially joined Crystal Palace but only spent one year with the club until he dropped down to non-league.
Now aged 23, Matthews currently plays for Dover Athletic in the seventh tier of English football.
Luke Plange
Upon leaving Arsenal in 2021, Plange joined Derby County on a free transfer. He went on to score three goals in eight Championship appearances in his debut season and was promptly snapped up by Crystal Palace.
The 22-year-old is still on the books at Crystal Palace today, although he’s not made an appearance for the club since joining in 2022.
Instead, he’s spent the last few years out on loan and he’s currently playing for Motherwell, who he joined on loan in January.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Arteta made a big call when he offloaded Aubameyang in the 2022 January window, but the decision paid off in the long run.
While the Gabon international did enjoy decent spells with Barcelona and Marseille after leaving, he never quite recaptured the form from his early years at Arsenal. Also, the less said about his stint at Chelsea, the better.
Now aged 35, Aubameyang is currently playing in the Saudi Pro League where he’s scored 10 league goals for Al-Qadsiah as of writing.
Alexandre Lacazette
The Frenchman looked like he was on his last legs during his final season in North London, only scoring four goals in 30 Premier League appearances.
“I want to keep all the good moments I had in the club, because for me it was just a pleasure to play for a club that, since I was young, I dreamt of,” the striker said upon leaving.
Since returning to Lyon, Lacazette has looked like a player reborn. In 102 appearances, the 33-year-old has scored 63 goals and has provided 13 assists too.
During 2024-25, he’s averaged a goal contribution every 150 minutes for Lyon which isn’t too shabby.
Kaleel Green
After leaving Arsenal in 2023, Green spent a few years at Colchester United before joining non-league outfit Saffron Walden Town earlier this year.
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Folarin Balogun
Balogun’s stock rose dramatically following his prolific loan spell with Reims in 2022-23.
While some Arsenal fans were keen to see the United States forward integrated into the first team, the club decided to cash in while his value was high.
Monaco ultimately won the race for his signature and paid a fee that could rise to £33million with add-ons.
Since making the switch, the 23-year-old has scored 11 goals in 42 appearances, averaging a goal contribution every 131.9 minutes.
Nikolaj Moller
The Swedish forward spent three years on the books at Arsenal but never made a senior appearance for the club.
Following loan spells with Viktoria Koln and Den Bosch, the centre-forward left the club on a permanent basis in 2023 to join Swiss side St. Gallen.
Tyreece John-Jules
After numerous loan spells in the EFL, John-Jules left Arsenal on a permanent basis last summer to join League One outfit Crawley Town.
The 24-year-old has predominately been used as an impact substitute this season and is still waiting to score his first goal for the club.
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Omari Benjamin
Everton signed the teenage forward on a contract until 2027 after his deal with Arsenal expired.
The 19-year-old has been developing well in the Everton academy having scored eight goals in 18 appearances for their U21 team this season.
Eddie Nketiah
“I have a real belief in myself as a player, and I think I just needed to go somewhere I felt I would have opportunities to be on the pitch and improve,” Nketiah told the Independent upon leaving Arsenal.
Crystal Palace splashed a fee of up to £30million on the 25-year-old who’s endured a fairly slow start to life at Selhurst Park.
He’s yet to score his first league goal for the club, although he has bagged a couple in the EFL Cup. Palace fans will be hoping that there’s still more to come from the 25-year-old yet.
Mika Biereth
Following a successful loan spell with Sturm Graz, the move was made permanent last summer. He quickly caught fire after making the full-time switch, scoring 14 goals in the first half of the season.
Monaco took note of his prolific form and signed him in the recent January window for a fee of around £12million.
He’s kept up his hot streak since moving to France too, having scored seven goals in his first six Ligue 1 appearances.