Are Arsenal doing enough?

The 2023/24 Premier League season was a weird one for Arsenal fans. The campaign saw the Gunners come on leaps and bounds in terms of quality and maturity. They finally turned the corner from being a young and exciting team, into an outfit that was ready to compete for the biggest trophies. The project was fully up and running and although they did lose out in the end to Man City, it was a signal that this Arsenal project was peaking at the perfect time. 

The consensus, leading into the 2024/25 season, was that Arsenal were one or two attacking signings away from really transforming into one of the best teams in Europe. An elite left-sided attacker and a striker were earmarked by fans as the key pieces for carrying Arsenal over the finish line and finally win them a trophy. However, during the 24/25 campaign, Man City drastically fell away and yet it wasn’t Arsenal who filled their place at the top of the table, like many expected. These attacking signings were never brought in and injuries majorly halted any serious title charge.

I, like many others, thought that Arsenal would naturally take over as the best team in England when Pep’s side eventually tailed off. But, this hasn’t been the case and now we sit in a position where it’s absolutely pivotal that a Premier League or Champions League is won this season or else difficult conversations might have to be held about Mikel Arteta and this Arsenal project. 

But the more time goes on this window, the more I begin to question whether Arsenal will get their hands on the most coveted trophies. Last summer, Arsenal’s transfer business left them seriously short in a few areas on the pitch - meaning when the injuries began to rain down, the drop-off in quality was very noticeable and Arsenal couldn’t keep up. This summer, with the introduction of Andrea Berta - Arsenal have already begun to spend heavily… but I still have question marks. 

Zubimendi, Norgaard and Kepa so far. It seems like smart business - I can’t knock any of these moves. All shrewd and intelligent deals which will improve the floor of the squad. But it’s the attacking signings that still leave me scratching my head slightly. Arsenal are now being heavily linked to Gyokores and Noni Madueke - at the time of writing, nothing is confirmed yet, but it looks like both will be playing their football at the Emirates next season. Both of these players don’t come with their questions. Gyokores is 27 - it’s going to be a large sum to take him off Sporting. What you’re buying with the Swedish forward is what he currently is, he’s in his prime now and won’t be getting any better. If he lands in England and isn’t that 15-20 goal a season striker Arsenal have needed for two years now, they’re stuck with him for at least three years. It’s a big gamble for a player who has thrived in a league which is defensively much weaker than the Premier League. I know Arsenal want to win now. That’s why they’ve gone for him, but is he that good that he will enable the club to do just that? Here’s a fun game, go and look at the most expensive strikers from the Portuguese league and look at how they fared in England… It’s a dismal picture. Hopefully Gyokores can be the one to break the wheel, but if he doesn’t, there’s not really anywhere else Arsenal can turn for the foreseeable future. 

Noni Madueke is also extremely talented and will provide cover for Saka - however spending a rumoured £50 million on a player who has only scored 2 goals in 2025, who won’t even be starting for you - is a bold move. It’s believed that Arteta also sees him as a viable option off the left, however it remains to be seen just how good Madueke can be when he’s operating there. 

For close to £130 million, you’re paying a lot of money for two attackers who I believe are pretty big gambles and if Madueke means Arsenal will no longer be targeting an elite left-winger such as Rodrygo, then I do worry. Is a transfer window of Madueke, Gyokores, Norgaard, Zubimendi, Kepa and Mosquera enough to win you the Premier League and Champions League? 

Is it ambitious enough? 

Liverpool won the league and consequently shattered the British transfer record to acquire Florian Wirtz. Manchester City have spent £400 million in the last 6 months to make sure a repeat of 2024/25 doesn’t happen. Real statements of intent that have left rival Premier League fans worried, at this point can you say the same for Arsenal who had a relatively disappointing campaign last year?

Now, there’s a long way to go before the transfer window shuts. In a months time, Arsenal’s window might look extremely different to how it’s currently shaping up but as things stand, I just don’t know if it’s enough.

Arsenal don’t want to just compete anymore, they want to win. I think if they went out and got Rodrygo and Eze as well as Gyokores and Madueke, then I’d fully get behind them to win something. But I just don’t know if they will make these moves. Yes, it’s expensive and it’s risky but it ensures a level of quality in that attack that will be so hard to stop. 

This is Arsenal’s window and they can’t afford to get it wrong. But right now, I worry if the ambition I’m seeing right now in the window is enough to finally take them that one step further. 

Just go get them, don’t turn the best few years Arsenal fans have had in 2 decades, into a ‘what if’.