Arsenal ended the summer transfer window without signing a "world-class" forward, despite manager Mikel Arteta pledging ambitious, fast and smart business after losing the Champions League final to Paris St-Germain. Having won the Premier League by seven points last season, the club identified attacking reinforcement as a priority given lingering doubts over Viktor Gyokeres's fit and inconsistent form from Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, both of whom have since left. The failure to land a marquee attacker raises questions about whether Arsenal can close the gap to Europe's elite, even as they insist that remains the goal.

Sporting director Andrea Berta pursued multiple targets simultaneously, including Morgan Rogers, Bradley Barcola, Julian Alvarez and Vinicius Jr, but each move fell through: Real Madrid improved Vinicius Jr's contract, Chelsea paid £117m for Rogers after Arsenal held firm on an £80m valuation, Liverpool beat them to Barcola, and Alvarez opted to stay at Atletico Madrid despite Arteta's efforts. Instead, Arsenal strengthened elsewhere, signing Bruno Guimaraes (£75m), Ezri Konsa (£55m), Christos Tzolis (£34m) and converting Piero Hincapie's loan into a permanent £34.5m deal, with Guimaraes and Konsa already drawing praise for their performances.