Arsenal had more than 20 players on shortlist to capitalise on title win
Arsenal entered the summer transfer window as reigning Premier League champions with ambitious plans to strengthen further, drawing up a shortlist of more than 20 players from clubs including Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Tottenham. Despite this, the window closed on a mixed note, with some fans left feeling underwhelmed even though the Emirates Stadium hierarchy secured some notable deals. BBC Sport examines whether manager Mikel Arteta, sporting director Andrea Berta and owners Kroenke Sports Entertainment can consider the summer's business a success.
The headline arrival was Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United for £75m, a deal accelerated after alternative midfield targets such as Sandro Tonali, Alex Scott and Amadou Onana proved unavailable or unaffordable. Berta relied on close relationships with agents rather than direct club contact to push the deal through, an approach that worked for Guimaraes but reportedly cost Arsenal the signings of young Leicester players Jeremy Monga and Louis Page. Defender Ezri Konsa also joined, from Aston Villa, in a protracted deal eventually agreed at £51m plus £4m in add-ons after an initial £40m bid was rejected, with the transfer ultimately sealed at ownership level between the two clubs.
- Arsenal chased over 20 transfer targets after winning the title
- Bruno Guimaraes signed from Newcastle for £75m after other targets fell through
- Ezri Konsa joined from Aston Villa for £51m plus add-ons
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Arsenal went into the 2026 summer transfer window as reigning Premier League champions, giving them both the money and the ambition to strengthen an already successful squad. Manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta drew up a wish list of more than 20 potential signings from clubs including Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Tottenham, reflecting how far the club's targets have shifted since winning the title.
The window eventually produced two major signings: midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United for £75m, and defender Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa for around £55m including add-ons. Both deals came only after other targets fell through or proved too costly, and the Konsa transfer took weeks of negotiation before being finalised.
This matters because how a champion team uses its transfer window is seen as a marker of its ambition and stability going into the new season. Arsenal's owners, Kroenke Sports Entertainment, and their recruitment team face scrutiny over whether the squad has been strengthened enough to defend the title, even though some supporters feel the business done fell short of the scale originally suggested.