Arsenal have released their brand new home kit for the 2021/22 season.
The Gunners will once again be kitted out by Adidas for the upcoming season, and the German outfitter's latest effort treads the line of tradition and innovation very carefully.
It sticks to the club's traditional red shirt with white sleeves, but has white panels down the sides of the body in a manner similar to the kit Ajax are famous for.
Perhaps controversially, the colour of the three Adidas stripes on the sleeves of the kit are blue, meaning this is the first time any colour other than red or white has featured on the home kit since the 2013/14 season.
New signing Nuno Tavares is expected to wear the kit this Saturday against Rangers, with Mikel Arteta having admitted to football.london after the defeat to Hibernian in their opening pre-season fixture, that he is hopeful of giving the Portuguese left-back his debut at Ibrox.
Tavares is expected to be joined by Albert Sambi Lokonga at Arsenal this summer, with the Belgium Under-21 international expected to wear the number 48 shirt after he completes his move from Anderlecht, in tribute to his home town of Verviers.
The kit announcement also signals the confirmation of several new squad numbers ahead of the coming season, with fans now able to buy the new shirt with their favourite players' name on the back, on the Gunners online store.
Exciting youngster Folarin Balogun has officially been promoted to the first team after finally signing a contract extension towards the end of last season.
The decision to commit his future to the Emirates for the long-term has been rewarded with a new squad number, with the 20-year-old set to wear 26 for the coming campaign rather than the 38 he wore last time out.
Fellow Hale Ender Arthur Okonkwo has also been given a first-team shirt number, with the 19-year-old set to wear 33 this season after signing a contract extension of his own recently.
However, Emile Smith Rowe will continue to wear the number 32 as things stand, with the 20-year-old still in talks with the Gunners over extending his deal in north London.
football.london understands Arsenal remain confident of getting a new contract signed although the player's camp have revealed the matter is far from settled at the moment.
Gabriel Martinelli will also stick with the number 35 after some rumours that he might take up the 11 shirt, expected to be vacated by the outward bound Lucas Torreira.
Fans can, however, purchase the new shirt with Thomas Partey's name on the back above the number 5, after the Ghanaian switched from the 18 he wore last season following Sokratis' departure.
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