Arsenal: more than 20 players on a champions-focused shortlist

Arsenal went into the summer as Premier League champions with an obvious aim: turn the title into momentum in the transfer market. According to BBC Sport, the club compiled a shortlist of more than 20 players to strengthen the squad, with the recruitment plan shaped around what Mikel Arteta wants and Andrea Berta’s sporting approach.

Shortlist, but not everything landed

The idea was ambitious. BBC Sport’s Sami Mokbel reports that targets ranged from clubs like Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, and also included options closer to home such as Chelsea and Tottenham. But as the window closed on Tuesday night, there was a sense of something missing—particularly among sections of supporters.

The headline signing was Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle United for £75m. BBC Sport explains that Arsenal had been tracking his situation and, by mid-June, he became the club’s primary focus. Mokbel adds that Berta knew the player’s representatives well, while Arteta had made it clear he wanted proven quality to push the starting XI forward.

Arsenal also completed the signing of Ezri Konsa, described as another complex negotiation. Internally, Konsa was viewed as Arteta’s first-choice defensive option, and his ability to play at right-back mattered. But negotiations with Aston Villa were not straightforward: BBC Sport says Arsenal made a £40m offer a week before the deal was confirmed, which was rejected, before agreeing a final fee of £51m plus £4m in add-ons.

The main disappointment: attack

Where Arsenal’s recruitment didn’t fully deliver was in adding an elite attacker. BBC Sport notes that the pursuit of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa ended in disappointment. The piece also highlights other explored moves that didn’t materialise—such as reported interest in Elliot Anderson, who ultimately joined Manchester City, and attempts for Leicester teenagers Jeremy Monga and Louis Page, where sources say the lack of direct club-to-club discussions left both deals dead-ended.

So Arsenal can point to elite experience in defence and midfield, but the summer’s open question remains: did they do enough to back up the title win—especially up front?