Arsenal have announced the full list of their squad numbers for the 2026/27 Premier League season, and this list contains a number of surprises for those fans who are still getting used to the fact that they are reigning champions.
Bruno Guimaraes is now wearing the number 39 shirt which he has worn since his youth in Brazil, a gesture in honour of his father who used to drive a taxi with the same number. Christos Tzolis has chosen the number 17, a number last worn by Oleksandr Zinchenko and previously made well known by Alexis Sanchez and Emmanuel Petit. Illan Meslier, who has been brought in to provide additional cover in goal, is wearing the number 30.
I’ll provide the full breakdown along with an examination of which numbers are still available before the transfer deadline.
Arsenal’s Full Squad Numbers for 2026/27
Goalkeepers
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- David Raya
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- Kepa Arrizabalaga
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- Illan Meslier
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- Tommy Setford
Defenders
- 2. William Saliba
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- Cristhian Mosquera
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- Ben White
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- Piero Hincapie
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- Gabriel Magalhaes
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- Jurrien Timber
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- Riccardo Calafiori
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- Myles Lewis-Skelly
Midfielders
- 8. Martin Odegaard
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- Fabio Vieira
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- Mikel Merino
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- Martin Zubimendi
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- Bruno Guimaraes
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- Declan Rice
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- Max Dowman
Forwards
- 7. Bukayo Saka
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- Gabriel Jesus
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- Eberechi Eze
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- Gabriel Martinelli
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- Viktor Gyokeres
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- Christos Tzolis
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- Noni Madueke
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- Ethan Nwaneri
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- Reiss Nelson
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- Kai Havertz
It’s a team that prioritises continuity over reinvention. The majority of the players who won the title for Arsenal last season have retained their player numbers. The gaps in the list are what provide the more interesting insight.
What numbers are free at the Emirates?
The fact that Jakub Kiwior has moved to Porto, that Christian Norgaard has transferred to Everton and that Leandro Trossard has left for Besiktas means that there are now a number of shirts available. With Karl Hein’s move to Werder Bremen and Zinchenko’s permanent transfer to Ajax in February, Arsenal have a truly open list of players for the season.
Currently empty: 15, 16, 18, 19, 25, 26, 27 and 28.
Some of the numbers have a historical background. Number 15 was worn by Ray Parlour and later by Cesc Fabregas. Aaron Ramsey had the number 16 for a long time before that, and John Hartson wore it even earlier. The number 19, made available by Trossard, had previously belonged to Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Gilberto Silva. Likewise, number 25 also has a solid Arsenal history since it was worn by Nwankwo Kanu, Emmanuel Adebayor and Mohamed Elneny over the years.
Should Arteta deal with any business after the window has closed, then any players who come in will have a choice of some genuinely storied shirts.
The New Signings’ Numbers, Explained
Bruno Guimaraes – No. 39. His move from Newcastle was one of the major transfers of the summer, and instead of adopting a lower number which may have been offered, he has kept the one he has used throughout his career. This is a personal decision linked to his father, and the fact that he didn’t see the need to claim a ‘senior’ digit shows how settled he already is at the club.
Christos Tzolis – number 17. He is taking on a number which has a real Arsenal history behind it. Alexis Sanchez wore the number 17 during some of his best periods while playing for Arsenal, and so did Emmanuel Petit, back in the Invincibles days. Zinchenko’s time with that number came to an end when his loan at Nottingham Forest was terminated and he then joined Ajax on a permanent basis in February. It will be seen as either a nice touch of symmetry or a great deal of pressure, depending on how Tzolis gets on in his first season.
Illan Meslier – number 30. The shirt has recently had an unusual history at Arsenal; Raheem Sterling wore it during his loan visit in the 2024/25 season, and prior to that it belonged to Eddie Nketiah, and even earlier to Yossi Benayoun. Although the number is not generally one that you’d expect to find on a goalkeeper, Meslier isn’t the sort of player who cares about such things.
Why the Squad Numbers Matter This Season
It is quite natural to regard the announcement of squad numbers as merely a matter of pre-season administration, but in fact they usually do provide a good early indication of where a manager considers a player to fit. Having finally overcome Manchester City after a title race which lasted right until the end, Arsenal are set to become champions for the first time in over two decades and then, as a further achievement, defeated City again in the Community Shield with a 3-0 victory, which gave Arteta’s team some early impetus as they defend their title.
The team which begins the campaign is clearly the one that won the league, with Guimaraes, Tzolis and Meslier added rather than replacing any of the players who are central to the way Arteta wants to play. It will be the course of the season that actually shows whether this lineup is enough to keep off City and whoever else is planning to make a run at it; the numbers on the backs of the shirts are only the first indication.
Arsenal 2026/27 Fixtures to Watch Early On
To start their defence of the title, Arsenal play at home against the newly promoted Coventry City, after which they make a trip to Aston Villa. Championships holders generally admit that early fixtures like this are more important than they would like, since a slow start can very quickly lead to pressure from the teams chasing them.
The squad numbers are currently fixed, but the transfer window won’t close completely for a little while longer. Should Arsenal make a late signing, they will be given one of the empty numbers, and Arsenal.com will update the list as soon as this takes place.
