Arsenal could have a radically different starting XI by the 2030/31 season, with teenage sensation Max Dowman and Georgian winger Andria Bartishvili among the players tipped to become key figures under Mikel Arteta.
Arteta has agreed a new contract that is expected to keep him at Arsenal until 2030, extending his long-term project at the Emirates after guiding the club to the Premier League title in the 2025/26 season.
With that in mind, football. london has looked ahead to what Arsenal’s starting XI could resemble when the 2030/31 campaign begins.
David Raya, who would be 35 by then, is predicted to make way in goal, with Leeds United goalkeeper James Trafford identified as a potential replacement. Trafford, who would be 27 at the start of the 2030/31 season, has been tipped to develop into an established Premier League goalkeeper.
The defence could retain several familiar names. Jurrien Timber, William Saliba and Riccardo Calafiori are considered young enough to remain important figures, while academy prospect Marli Salmon is projected to develop into a regular first-team defender.
Saliba is tipped to move into a left-sided centre-back role, with Salmon potentially taking over from Gabriel Magalhães as the younger generation takes over Arsenal’s back line.
In midfield, Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly are projected to remain part of the team, although it is Max Dowman who attracts the biggest attention.
The 16-year-old midfielder is tipped to eventually inherit Martin Ødegaard’s role and become one of England’s leading young players by 2030.
Bukayo Saka is the only member of the current attacking trio projected to remain in the XI. The England international would be 28 and approaching his prime years when the 2030/31 season begins.
On the opposite flank, football.london predicts Arsenal could feature Andria Bartishvili, the Georgian youngster who is expected to join the club in 2027 and has been compared with fellow Georgian star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The biggest projected change comes at centre-forward.
Arsenal are tipped to eventually sign Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi, with the prediction suggesting the French forward could command a £150 million transfer fee after establishing himself as a prolific Premier League goalscorer.
The resulting predicted Arsenal XI for 2030/31 is:
James Trafford; Jurrien Timber, Marli Salmon, William Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori; Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman; Bukayo Saka, Eli Junior Kroupi, Andria Bartishvili.
The XI remains highly speculative, with several of the players involved still teenagers and the transfer market, player development and Arteta’s tactical plans likely to change considerably before 2030.
What is less speculative is Arsenal’s commitment to the long-term project. Arteta’s new deal is expected to keep him at the club until 2030, giving him the opportunity to oversee another phase of the club’s development.
