With a statement on their official website, Premier League champions Arsenal have confirmed their list of released players ahead of the start of pre-season training, with three promising defenders of Nigerian descent set to depart the club in search of new opportunities.
Left-back Cam'ron Ismail, centre-back Samuel Onyekachukwu and right-back Josh Nichols are all out of contract on June 30, 2026 and will be departing the club.
A fourth Nigerian defender Josh Ogunnaike is in talks with Arsenal over a new deal and it is not yet known whether he has decided to stay or leave.
Although the four players trained with Arsenal's first team, only Nichols made his senior debut, with the fullback featuring for ninety minutes in a Carabao Cup fixture versus Bolton Wanderers in September 2024.
In search of first team opportunities, Nichols has already agreed a contract with newly-promoted Croatian Prva NL club NK Kustosija Zagreb, with the deal set to completed on July 1, 2026.
Last season, Ismail failed to make an official appearance for Arsenal's development side, as he was not included in any matchday squad in either Premier League 2 or the EFL Trophy.
Onyekachukwu represented Arsenal in the U18 Premier League, UEFA Youth League, EFL Trophy and FA Youth Cup, while Ogunnaike also saw considerable action, registering seven starts in Premier League 2.
The four players of Nigerian descent were born in the English capital London.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
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