Arsenal dropped the curtain on the 2024/25 season with a 2-1 win against Southampton at Saint Mary’s Stadium.
That was the final fixture in what was a topsy-turvy campaign for the Gunners. Fans who bought Arsenal tickets from Seatsnet.com were treated to a rollercoaster of emotions.
Unfortunately, the grand finale followed a familiar script of “what if?”. Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge tailed off in the second half of the season.
Some would argue Liverpool were just head and shoulders above the rest of the pack, but in truth, the Gunners ran out of juice and couldn’t keep up with the 20-time champions.
Mikel Arteta’s side turned to the Champions League for comfort, and after the iconic quarter-final win against Real Madrid, Arsenal fans had every right to dream again.
But that didn’t last long as they fell short against Paris Saint-Germain in the last four.
In fairness, Arteta made the most of the cards he was dealt. He didn’t have the squad depth to compete on multiple fronts but got Arsenal a second-place finish and a semi-final berth in the Champions League.
Recognising the effort he has put in to restore Arsenal to the pinnacle of domestic and European football, the club hierarchy have decided to loosen their purse strings.
The rumour mills are churning, and if reports are to be believed, Arsenal fans have every right to dream again.
Recent seasons have taught them not to expect too much, but if Arteta lands his dream targets, Arsenal could finally break the curse next season.
The state of the squad
Arsenal went into the summer transfer window with several areas of the squad needing to be addressed.
The final game of last season saw Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney, Jakub Kiwior, and Raheem Sterling all named in the starting line-up.
These are players who barely got a look in throughout the season. But a combination of injuries and the fact that the game was a dead rubber made Arteta gracious enough to give fringe players a chance.
William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes’ injuries towards the end of the season exposed Arsenal’s lack of depth at centre-back.
They need a replacement for Thomas Partey, whose contract has expired, and could do with reinforcements on both attacking flanks. But the most obvious issue is at the top end of the pitch.
Mikel Merino stepped up in the absence of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. With Leandro Trossard struggling to fill in at centre-forward, Arteta turned to the most unlikely option in Merino.
That decision raised plenty of eyebrows, but what surprised many even more was the fact that the 29-year-old midfielder stepped up to the task.
He played 12 times as a centre-forward and returned six goals and three assists. But his success epitomised everything that was wrong with Arteta’s squad.
For the past couple of years, it’s been crystal clear that Arsenal needed a prolific striker to close the gap to Manchester City and Liverpool.
That has repeatedly been overlooked, but Arsenal are finally ready to address the issue.
Much of the focus coming into the summer window has been on signing a striker who could take Arsenal to the next level, but Arteta has also stressed the need for numbers as well as quality.
Tierney and Jorginho waved goodbye to Arsenal fans at Saint Mary’s, while Sterling and goalkeeper Neto have also returned to their parent clubs.
That trims an already thin squad down to 18 first-team players, which isn’t good enough if Arsenal are looking to challenge on multiple fronts.
That number shrank even further after Partey and Tomiyasu ran out their contracts. Zinchenko has fallen out of favour and could leave the club this summer.
There’s a lot of work to be done from top to bottom. But whoever comes in needs to be someone who can elevate the team.
The transfer window so far
Arsenal were slow burners at the start of the summer transfer window, but they have come alive in recent weeks.
The midfield was the first piece of the puzzle to be sorted. They have completed a deal to sign Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad as a replacement for Partey.
Partey was the backbone of Arsenal’s midfield, even if the spotlight was more on Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, but adding Zubimendi to the mix is a fantastic decision.
The Gunners have also announced a deal to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea after activating his £5 million release clause.
He will provide cover for Raya and seems to be reliable after his successful loan spell at Bournemouth.
But Arsenal aren’t done yet. They have freed up space in the squad after shipping out Nuno Tavares, Marquinhos, Jorginho, Tierney, Partey, and Tomiyasu, coupled with Sterling and Neto leaving the club.
The Gunners have a number of deals in the pipeline, so here’s how they could line up if Arteta got all his dream targets.
Arsenal dream line-up for 2025/26
Arsenal prioritised a move for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko at the start of the summer but were priced out of a move.
They have since shifted their attention to Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, who has made it clear that he’s desperate for a move to the Emirates.
Gyokeres would be a fantastic signing for Arsenal, coming off the back of an extraordinary campaign where he bagged 54 goals and 13 assists in 52 games.
Personal terms wouldn’t be a problem. All that remains is for both clubs to find common ground.
Arsenal are also working on a deal for Valencia centre-back Cristian Mosquera. The 21-year-old can cover at right back and should replace Tomiyasu if Arsenal can get a deal over the line.
The Gunners are also looking for reinforcements on the wings. With Nico Williams penning a new long-term deal at Athletic Club, Arsenal have turned their attention to Madrid’s Rodrygo.
He would be a statement signing for Arteta’s side, who are also working on a deal to sign Noni Madueke from Chelsea. The Englishman will cover for Bukayo Saka but can also play on the left flank.
Here’s how Arsenal could line up next season if they can wrap up those deals.
(4-3-3): David Raia; Jurien Timber, William Reabbit, Gabriel Magalleas, Martin Zubendi, Martin Odegard, Declan Rice; Rodrygo, Viktor Gykikeres, uao You.
