Arsenal release NINE players including David Luiz and Martin Odegaard as club prepare for transfer summer rebuild

ARSENAL have confirmed that NINE players will leave the club when their contracts expire later this month.

David Luiz and Martin Odegaard lead the names departing the Emirates as Mikel Arteta seeks an epic summer rebuild after missing out on European football.

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Joining Luiz and Odegaard on the axed list are fellow senior squad members Dani Ceballos and Mat Ryan.

There are exits in the youth set-up too, with Levi Laing, Joseph Olowu, Luke Plange and Jason Sraha leaving.

And Arsenal Women will also bid farewell to Leonie Maier.

Luiz, 34, departs after two years in north London following a shock move from capital rivals Chelsea.

He played 73 times for the Gunners and helped them win last year’s FA Cup against his old side.

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Odegaard and Ceballos, 24, will head back to Real Madrid after mixed loan spells.

Arsenal were reportedly keen on signing Odegaard permanently.

But he could now form part of Carlo Ancelotti’s plans after the Italian sealed a sensational return to Spain this week.

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Finally, Australian goalie Ryan, 29, will go back to Brighton after featuring just three times during his Arsenal loan.

The exits signal Arteta’s intent for a major transfer overhaul.

Arsenal failed to qualify for Europe for the first time in 25 years after finishing ninth in the Premier League table.

And that means the squad is set to be trimmed further after Arteta already orchestrated a number of brutal cuts in January.

The likes of Mesut Ozil, Sokratis, Shkodran Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac were given the boot as Arsenal dropped their dead weight.

Kolasinac today returned from his Schalke loan, but he now faces an immediate exit.

Midfielder Granit Xhaka and Hector Bellerin, the club’s longest-serving player, have been tipped to leave.

There are also reported doubts over the futures of Bernd Leno, Pablo Mari, Alexandre Lacazette and Matteo Guendouzi.

But there could be some exciting new additions, with Manchester City and England winger Raheem Sterling on Arteta’s shopping list.

Title-winning Lille right-back Zeki Celik is a £13million target, while the Gunners could also move for highly-rated Ajax goalie Andre Onana.