New Arsenal signings included in Europa League squad, but who misses out?

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Arsenal have included new signing Martin Odegaard in their Europa League squad for the last-32 stage, while Gabriel Martinelli also makes the cut after being injured earlier in the season.

Manager Mikel Arteta did not hide his desire for the club to be active in the January transfer window, and the were with both acquisitions and exits.

Odegaard was brought in on a loan deal for the rest of the season after falling out of favour with Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid.

Despite starting the first two games of the campaign under the Frenchman, Odegaard found game time hard to come by as the months went on, leading to Real Madrid loaning him out for some first team football.

Arsenal also secured the signing of Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan on loan.

Both of the new recruits have been added to their European squad.

Martinelli has been welcomed back into the fold at the Emirates after having his first half of the 2020/21 campaign disrupted by injuries, and has also been included in the squad.

In order for the Gunners to make room for any potential acquisitions in January, several players had to be moved on.

After being ostracised from the Premier League and Europa League squads, Mesut Ozil finally won a transfer away from Arsenal, with Fenerbahce snapping him up on a free transfer after his contract was mutually terminated.

Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos also had their contracts cancelled, enabling them to join Schalke and Olympiacos respectively.

Sead Kolasinac, Joe Willock, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were sent out on loan to Schalke, Newcastle Utd, and West Bro, with the latter pair hoping to aid their development with some first team action.

Those players have made room for Odegaard, Martinelli, and Ryan to be added, but one player who is still at the club has been left out in goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson, who is now third choice between the sticks after Ryan’s arrival.