Fatigue. That is one of the main reasons for Arsenal’s woes at the end of this season.
Add to this the lack of success in attack, and it would be no surprise to see the standard of Mikel Arteta’s team drop.
In the past month and a half, the Gunners have been knocked out of the FA Cup, defeated in the Carabao Cup final and surrendered a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Much has been made of the Gunners’ incredible depth this season, but even that couldn’t save them in the final months of the season.
As such, it is expected to be a busy summer this year and we are likely to see a large number of departures to make room for new arrivals.
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The biggest fear for Arsenal supporters this summer is that they will be forced to cash in on their most exciting players.
This does not mean players like Bukayo Saka or Declan Rice will leave, but there are concerns that Ethan Nwaneri and Miles Lewis-Skelly could leave.
The Hale End duo were outstanding last season, but the 2025/26 season will be a completely different story. This is an interesting proposition as their lack of football means they could be sold and Arsenal would be banking pure profit from their departure.
But that doesn’t mean Arsenal don’t value youth. While Max Daumann is rising to prominence, they have agreed a deal to acquire Ecuadorian twins Holger and Edwin Quintero from Independiente del Valle, the club that produced Moises Caicedo and Piero Hincapie.
Arsenal’s most expensive contract in history
The Gunners have spent generously in recent years.
To further improve their future, they could also welcome Red Star Belgrade’s Vasily Kostov to the Emirates Stadium.
Just 17 years old, reports earlier this week suggested that Arsenal were indeed close to signing the player for a whopping £10 million. A flight to London could also be arranged later this week.
However, Fabrizio Romano insists that despite ongoing negotiations with Kostov’s agent, a deal is not yet fully finalized.
Commenting on the latest report, Romano said: “Arsenal are after Kostov and are following him closely. They are in contact with those close to the player and are considering signing him. It is too early to say whether they will do this deal or not, but Arsenal are interested. They are scouting and following the boy.”
Where Kostov could fit into Arsenal’s squad
It’s no exaggeration to say that one of Arsenal’s biggest problems in recent months has been Arsenal’s midfield.
Remember that without Declan Rice and Martin Zvimendi up top, Arsenal’s pressing and ability to evade the opponent’s press is regressed, meaning they are unable to create clear scoring chances.
While Rice’s performance level hasn’t dropped disastrously, Zvimendi can sometimes feel a bit let down by his partner in crime.
In general, the Spaniard has a great contract, but it can be said that he is probably paying the price of fatigue. No outfield player at the club has played more than the former Real Sociedad player in the 2025/26 season.
Minutes by Arsenal players – 2025/26 | |
|---|---|
player | play time |
1) David Raya | 4,140 |
2) Martin Zvimendi | 4,097 |
3) Declan Rice | 4,002 |
4) William Saliba | 3,774 |
5) Gabriel Magalhães | 3,685 |
6) Julian Timber | 3,309 |
7) Victor Gokeres | 3,161 |
8) Bukayo Saka | 2,900 |
Still, Arteta appears to have struck gold with a few tactical tweaks. The two swapped roles against Atlético on Wednesday. Rice played deeper as a holding midfielder, with Zvimendi playing eight minutes.
There is a long-term feeling that Arsenal are still looking for a solution at that number eight. It’s something they’ve struggled to really capture since Granit Xhaka left in 2023.
Kai Havertz was seen as a natural successor, but ended up playing as a striker. Although Rice developed playing up front, he felt his qualities were best demonstrated deep down the pitch.
So, can Kostov solve this problem? Let’s analyze his best qualities.
This season, the Serbian midfielder has played in multiple positions, not only as a right-winger, but also as number 10, number 8 and holding midfielder.
The teenager, who is only 17 years old, has not yet decided on his best role, but it must be said that at the moment he is progressing further. Kostov played in 22 games as an attacking midfielder, scoring 12 goals and providing 4 assists. In fact, in his last nine league games, he’s found the back of the net six times.
One social media analyst said he was “one of the best in world football in terms of his ability to get into the box”.
That’s a bold statement for a young player, but there’s reason to believe he comes from a similar background to players like Aaron Ramsey, who became famous for scoring goals from Arsenal’s midfield.
But perhaps his style will be closer to Xhaka in 2022/23. That season, the Swiss player played as number eight. This allowed him to get closer to the goal, but he was still able to drop deep to connect plays and supply line-breaking passes.
In fact, since joining Sunderland this season, no player has made more line-breaking passes that led to goals (eight).
Kostov is no different in that respect. Como scout Ben Mattinson describes his best qualities: “Kostov is a two-footed, deep playmaker with tight control in tight areas, quality shooting from distance, and game-breaking long passes.”
Furthermore, experts on the youngster’s game say: “His passing is insane, the amount of dangerous but brilliant passes is amazing all around.”
“He’s not much of a carrier or dribbler, but he’s very strong in the press and has great ability with both feet.”
Kostov may not have Xhaka’s duel-winning or tenacious defensive reads, but the two work closely together when it comes to passing, breaking play and crashing into the box.
Perhaps this is the solution Arteta desperately needs in the No. 8 position.
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