Mikel Arteta is reportedly not completely satisfied with Arsenal’s summer transfer business, despite the club making several important additions to the squad ahead of the new Premier League season.
The Gunners entered the summer with huge expectations after winning the Premier League title and reaching the Champions League final last season. Arteta and Arsenal’s hierarchy knew that strengthening the squad would be essential if the club wanted to remain competitive on both domestic and European fronts.
However, while Arsenal have made significant moves in the transfer market, questions remain over whether the squad has been strengthened in every area Arteta wanted.
Arsenal have brought in several notable players, including Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa and Christos Tzolis, while Piero Hincapie’s move has also been made permanent. The Premier League itself highlighted Guimaraes, Konsa and Tzolis as some of Arsenal’s major summer additions.
On paper, the recruitment looks impressive. Yet Arteta is believed to have wanted even more attacking quality, particularly after several important players left the club.
Arteta Wanted More Attacking Reinforcements
One of the biggest concerns surrounding Arsenal’s summer has been the balance between attacking departures and arrivals.
Leandro Trossard has left the club, while Gabriel Jesus has also departed for Barcelona. Gabriel Martinelli has additionally been linked with, and subsequently moved towards, an exit to Al-Hilal. Arsenal therefore faced the difficult task of replacing experience, goals and creativity.
The club brought in Tzolis as a replacement for Trossard. The winger enjoyed an impressive campaign in Belgium, recording 17 goals and 23 assists for Club Brugge last season.
However, there were expectations that Arsenal would make another major attacking statement.
The club explored several high-profile targets, including Vinicius Junior and Morgan Rogers, while Julian Alvarez was also a major name on Arsenal’s radar late in the window.
Arsenal eventually failed to secure some of those targets, leaving supporters questioning whether the club did enough to give Arteta the attacking depth required for another demanding season.
The Julian Alvarez Situation
Perhaps the clearest example of Arsenal’s ambition—and frustration—was the pursuit of Julian Alvarez.
Arsenal made a late attempt to bring the Argentine forward to the Emirates after agreeing deals involving several attacking players. Reports indicated that Arteta personally attempted to convince Alvarez to join Arsenal.
The move, however, did not materialise.
For Arteta, missing out on such a player could be particularly disappointing because Alvarez represents exactly the kind of elite attacking talent that could take Arsenal to another level.
The Arsenal manager has spent years building a squad capable of competing for major trophies, but the difference between winning and falling short at the highest level can often come down to having one or two additional match-winning players.
That is why the failure to land another marquee attacker could leave Arteta wondering whether Arsenal have gone far enough.
Arsenal Have Still Spent Big
It would be unfair, however, to suggest that Arsenal have been inactive.
The club have invested heavily during the summer, with Bruno Guimaraes representing one of the biggest additions. Ezri Konsa was also brought in to strengthen the defence, particularly following William Saliba’s long-term injury concerns.
Guimaraes gives Arsenal additional quality and physicality in midfield, while Konsa provides experience and versatility at the back.
Tzolis adds another attacking option, and the permanent signing of Hincapie gives Arteta greater defensive depth.
These are not minor additions.
But Arsenal’s challenge is no longer simply about improving the squad. They are now Premier League champions and Champions League finalists. The expectations are therefore much higher.
Arteta needs a squad capable of competing across multiple competitions without depending excessively on the same group of players.
Squad Depth Remains a Concern
Another reason Arteta could be dissatisfied is the issue of squad depth.
Last season, several Arsenal stars were heavily relied upon, with players such as Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice accumulating huge numbers of minutes. Questions have already been raised about whether Arteta will rotate more effectively this season.
Having quality players on the bench is crucial.
Arsenal may have strengthened several positions, but injuries and suspensions can quickly expose weaknesses. A long Premier League campaign combined with Champions League football, domestic cups and international commitments will test the squad to its limits.
Arteta therefore needs options he trusts.
If Arsenal suffer injuries to key attacking players, the manager could find himself in a difficult position if there is not enough proven quality available to replace them.
Winning the Premier League Changes Everything
There is also a psychological element to Arsenal’s transfer window.
Before winning the Premier League, Arsenal were trying to catch Manchester City and Liverpool. Now they are the team everyone wants to beat.
That changes the pressure.
Opponents will approach Arsenal differently. Champions League expectations will also be enormous after last season’s run to the final.
Arteta knows that simply repeating last season’s squad may not be enough.
The manager reportedly wanted Arsenal to be “very ambitious, very fast and very smart” in the transfer market following the Champions League final.
Those words underline the level of ambition expected inside the club.
The question is whether Arsenal’s final business fully matched that ambition.
Arteta Must Make the Squad Work
Despite any disappointment, Arteta cannot afford to dwell on the transfer window.
The season has already started, and Arsenal have made an encouraging beginning. They defeated Aston Villa 1-0 in their second Premier League match, with Bukayo Saka scoring the decisive goal. New signings Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa also made their debuts.
That victory demonstrated that Arsenal remain a formidable side.
But the bigger test will come when injuries begin to appear, fixtures become congested and Champions League football returns.
Arteta will need to get the best from every player available to him.
Youngsters such as Max Dowman could also become important as the season progresses, particularly if the manager decides that squad rotation is necessary.
Arsenal Fans Will Expect More
For Arsenal supporters, the summer transfer window will ultimately be judged by what happens on the pitch.
If the Gunners successfully defend their Premier League title and go deep into the Champions League, criticism of the transfer window will quickly disappear.
But if Arsenal struggle to score goals or suffer because of a lack of attacking depth, questions will inevitably be asked about whether the club should have pushed harder for another major signing.
Arteta understands that football is ultimately about results.
The manager has built Arsenal into one of Europe’s strongest teams, but the next step requires perfection in recruitment as well as tactics.
For now, the impression is that Arsenal have strengthened significantly but may still have left Arteta wanting more.
The additions of Guimaraes, Konsa, Tzolis and Hincapie have improved the squad, but the departures of several attacking players and the failure to land some major targets mean the transfer window has not been completely straightforward.
Arteta may therefore enter the new campaign with mixed feelings: pleased with the quality Arsenal have added, but frustrated that some of his preferred attacking solutions did not arrive.
The real verdict, however, will come at the end of the season.
If Arsenal lift another Premier League trophy or finally win the Champions League, the summer will be remembered as a success.
If they fall short because of a lack of depth or attacking firepower, supporters may look back at this transfer window and wonder whether Arsenal should have done more.
For Arteta, the message is simple: the squad is strong, but the margin between being champions and being challengers is extremely small.
And if the Arsenal manager truly believes his team needs more, the coming months will reveal whether the club made the right decisions in the summer.
