Last summer, Arsenal and Liverpool were celebrated as winners of the transfer window. However, even if you are awarded that honor, it does not necessarily mean that it will bring good results.
Alexander Isak and Florian Wertz haven’t lived up to their £100m transfer fees, and while the Gunners haven’t spent that much money on any one player, they have good reason to be unhappy with some of their signings.
Victor Gokeres is the club’s top scorer with 18 goals this season, but he is regularly criticized for his inability to keep possession of the ball. In the side, Noni Maduke, signed for £52 million, has only scored seven times. It was a strange move at the time, but the deeper he gets into his journey with Arsenal, the more puzzling it looks.
If the Gunners win the Premier League, few will complain about their investment. But if this is not the case, then Andrea Berta will be questioned. Windows are going to be even more important this summer.
What does Arsenal’s future hold this summer?
If Arsenal are to spend big this year, they will reportedly have to sacrifice several first-team members to boost sales.
Miles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri are two players who are opportunities for pure profit, but if they leave there will be riots outside the Emirates.
As a result, the Gunners are likely to listen to offers for the likes of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli if they join. Ultimately, it is the front line that needs reinforcement the most.
On the left flank, Anthony Gordon and Kviča Kvaratscheria have been mentioned as possible replacements.
The richest contract in Arsenal’s history
The Gunners have spent generously in recent years.
Will Bertha be strengthened on the front lines? Well, even though Gokeres has scored up to 18 goals in all competitions, it’s safe to say that no striker has really staked his claim this season.
Perhaps the addition of Julian Alvarez will help? Arsenal have been linked with the Argentine player for some time, but at this point it seems unlikely that he will return to England any time soon.
The former Manchester City forward is attracting interest from Barcelona, says reporter Ben Jacobs, pointing out that the Atletico Madrid star is Barca’s “dream target” this summer.
That said, they face competition from Mikel Arteta’s team, who have already undertaken “formative” investigations this year. However, he will come at a premium.
Atleti do not want him to leave for less than £104m, which is £1m less than club-record signing Declan Rice. Speaking of which, the impact of Alvarez moving to the Emirates could be quite similar.
Why Alvarez is Arsenal’s best player since Rice
In the summer of 2023, Arsenal had to make a statement to the Premier League. As soon as the Citizens, who were eyeing Rice alongside Manchester City, entered the race, it looked like they were going to win.
But Arsenal pushed harder than ever to get Rice over the line and have completely transformed the team since he became a gooner.
He’s a leader, a fighter, a defensive machine and has now become extremely useful in the final third. You can do that by naming your rice.
A truly clutch player, the Englishman scored those two spectacular free-kicks against Real Madrid in last year’s Champions League. It was Rice who pioneered the success of set pieces as a whole.
Declan rice by season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
season | game | the goal | assist |
2020/21 | 35 | 2 | 1 |
2021/22 | 50 | 5 | 4 |
2022/23 | 50 | 5 | 4 |
2023/24 | 51 | 7 | 9 |
2024/25 | 52 | 9 | 10 |
2025/26 | 49 | 5 | 11 |
Along with Bukayo Saka, his shots from corners and dead balls in general are very rare. Who knows what Arsenal would be like without him? he was a very nice person.
Well, given the state of Arsenal’s forward line, Alvarez could be a game-changer as well. Last summer, the Gunners brought Joekeles into their fold in the hopes of finally crossing the line for domestic supremacy.
As for Arteta, it was widely thought that a new striker would be just the ticket, but things were not that simple.
They have scored just once in their last five games and are seriously lacking in the technical safety to hold onto the ball and bring others into play. This season, 40% of the Swede’s touches have failed. To put this into context, only 26% of Erling Haaland’s touches were unsuccessful.
Gokeres’ successful touch vs PL Strikers | |
|---|---|
player | failure rate |
Victor Gokeres | 40% |
erling haaland | 26% |
Igor Thiago | 29% |
Joao Pedro | 27% |
He simply isn’t involved enough, but the arrival of Alvarez could change everything. He’s not just a goalscorer, he’s a great creator and loves working with his teammates.
At Atlético, the 26-year-old scored 19 goals and also provided nine assists in the 2025/26 season. Last season, the Argentine provided 8 assists and scored 29 goals in all competitions.
A “monster” in the words of Argentine journalist Pablo González, Álvarez is relentless in front of goal, capable of spectacular play, and has far greater technical ability than Goqueres. Arsenal’s number 14 has registered just 25 touches per game this season. Alvarez has been even more involved, logging just over 50 per game.
Additionally, he completed 50% of the takes. The Swede has only achieved 18% of his results in the Premier League. In short, the difference between the two is chalk and cheese.
Arsenal don’t necessarily need a new striker this summer, but if Alvarez is available, it would be hard to pass up the opportunity. He is a player who, like Rice, who arrived three years ago, can take Arteta’s team to a new level.
He was a monster against Newcastle: Arsenal have found their new Bukayo Saka
Arsenal returned to the top of the table with a win over Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon.
