Arsenal have confirmed their pre-season squad for the Asia Tour, with big-money winger Noni Madueke left out and Viktor Gyokeres still absent as Sporting CP negotiations continue.
Arsenal have confirmed their squad for the club’s upcoming Asia tour, but £52 million winger Noni Madueke will not be joining the group. Mikel Arteta has opted to rest the 23-year-old after his involvement in Chelsea’s Club World Cup triumph last month, while the wait continues for Viktor Gyokeres, who remains a transfer target rather than a traveling player.
The Gunners are set to begin their pre-season schedule in Singapore with matches against AC Milan and Newcastle United before flying to Hong Kong for a landmark fixture—the first-ever North London Derby played outside the UK.
While Madueke stays behind, new arrivals Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, and Christian Norgaard have all been included in the 30-man squad. It’s a sign of Arsenal’s intent to integrate fresh faces into the group quickly, particularly with key positions being reinforced ahead of a season where title ambitions are firmly on the table.
The squad list reflects a typical Arteta approach: a mix of senior international experience and some of the club’s most promising youngsters. Players like Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Max Dowman will hope to gain valuable minutes and continue their development in elite company.
Here’s the full group making the trip:
Goalkeepers: David Raya, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Tommy Setford, Alexei Rojas-Fedorushchenko
Defenders: William Saliba, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhães, Jurrien Timber, Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Riccardo Calafiori, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Josh Nichols, Marli Salmon
Midfielders: Martin Ødegaard, Christian Nørgaard, Mikel Merino, Sambi Lokonga, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Louie Copley
Forwards: Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Ethan Nwaneri, Reiss Nelson, Kai Havertz, Ismeal Kabia, Max Dowman, Andre Harriman-Annous
While the squad flies east, Arsenal’s recruitment team remains hard at work in Europe. Talks with Sporting CP over striker Viktor Gyokeres are ongoing, with the Portuguese club standing firm over the structure of potential add-ons in what could become a £69 million deal. Personal terms have been agreed for some time, but the Gunners are yet to finalise the payment details that would unlock the Swedish international’s move.
Arteta is keen to add a central striker before the season starts, and Gyokeres fits the profile: physical, clinical, and tactically versatile. His absence from the tour simply reflects the reality that a deal isn’t close enough yet to consider integrating him into pre-season preparations.
In the meantime, Arsenal’s current forwards—led by Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Kai Havertz—will look to sharpen their rhythm while offering fans a glimpse of how the team is evolving tactically. Arteta is expected to experiment with combinations in midfield and across the front line, particularly with new pieces like Zubimendi and Norgaard adding depth and control in central areas.
Pre-season might be about fitness, but for a club like Arsenal—pushing to bridge the fine margins at the top of the Premier League—it’s also about momentum. And by the time this tour wraps up, fans will hope the Gunners return not just with match sharpness, but with a new No.9 in tow.
