Zak Swanson leaves Arsenal for Portsmouth on permanent deal

Arsenal have announced that Zak Swanson has left the club to join Portsmouth on a permanent deal.

The Cambridge-born defender has arrived at Fratton Park for an undisclosed fee, and he has signed a two-year contract with the option of a further 12 months at the League One club.

The 21-year-old found his way into Mikel Arteta's first-team squad for the 2021-22 season but was unable to make an impression on the pitch for the Gunners.

Swanson - who had been in the Arsenal ranks since 2006 - made the bench in 15 consecutive Premier League gameweeks but failed to make a single appearance for the team in the top flight.

The right-back leaves Arsenal without earning his first-team debut for the North London club, but he registered two goals and two assists in 12 Premier League 2 games for the Under-23s last term.

Swanson had previously amassed seven goals and two assists in 34 Under-18 matches for Arsenal and made three appearances in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie for MVV Maastricht during a loan spell in 2020.

As well as Swanson, Arsenal have also allowed fellow prospects Jordi Osei-Tutu and Daniel Ballard to leave on permanent deals for VfL Bochum and Sunderland respectively this summer.