After another season where they came agonisingly close to beating Manchester City for the Premier League title, before falling at the final hurdle, Arsenal will be desperate to finally get their hands on the trophy once the 2024/25 campaign wraps up next May. With how close they’ve been before, the Gunners fans will be optimistic about their chances this season.
Club manager Mikel Arteta, however, isn’t quite as convinced right now. In a recent interview, the Spaniard admitted that he thought his team needed some work, and there were multiple areas in which they needed to be improved before they stood a realistic shot of usurpring City at the top of the English football pyramid.
“We have to (improve). Perfection in this league requires different standards to relate that word to winning the Premier League, and that’s what we have to do. We need to upgrade in everything we are doing. We have to improve in every area and that is what we are trying to do.
“We know there are certain positions that we want to improve and give the squad better resources in terms of numbers where we are short, but we will try our best.”
In light of the manager’s comments about his team’s need for upgrades in a variety of areas, here are several players that Arsenal could sign this summer to address those concerns and give themselves as good a chance as any of stopping Pep Guardiola and City from becoming the first team in English football history to win five straight league titles.
Goalkeeper
Andriy Lunin
While there are a couple of starting positions that need upgrading, that’s not the only work that the team needs. They also need to add depth to the squad and with Aaron Ramsdale potentially looking for a way to re-establish his status as a starting goalkeeper away from the Emirates, the Gunners will need to add a solid backup to slot in behind David Raya.
Up steps Andriy Lunin, who put in some fantastic performances for Real Madrid during the 2023/24 season in the absence of Thibaut Courtois and the shocking form of Kepa Arrizabalaga. According to Marca, the Gunners are looking at Lunin and have been told by Los Blancos that he would be avaiable for around £25m this summer.
Left-Back
Riccardo Calafiori
This might be cheating a little, considering Riccardo Calafiori is pretty much guaranteed to become an Arsenal player in the very near future. Left-back was a major issue for the club last season, though. Kieran Tierney’s injury issues since his arrival in 2019 prevented him from ever really making the role his own, while Oleksandr Zinchenko has performed admirably, but not to an elite level at times.
As such, the Italian would provide a massive upgrade in the starting lineup for Arsenal. With Jurrien Timber returning after missing pretty much all of the 2023/24 season through injury, the club will be handed a massive boost across the entire backline with the two men set to play key roles.
Defensive Midfielder
Martin Zubimendi
With reports suggesting that Thomas Partey will be leaving Arsenal this summer, the Gunners will need to add depth to the middle of the park and there are few better options for that than Martin Zubimendi. The Real Sociedad man has already downplayed talk of leaving his club this summer, saying: “Where am I going to play next season? I’m going to be at Real Sociedad. I have a contract with Real Sociedad and that’s where I’m most comfortable.”
With that said, things may change if Arsenal move in with an emphatic bid for the star and his club deem it too good to turn down. The 25-year-old has played close to 200 games for his club over the years, and there’s a strong chance that he would slot in seamlessly for Arteta’s team if he were to join.
Striker
Viktor Gyokeres
One major criticism that’s been aimed at Arsenal over the last few years, the one issue that has been highlighted as the main reason for the club’s failure to get over the line and lift the Premier League trophy, is the lack of a true, natural goalscorer leading the lines. Gabriel Jesus is a magnificent player, but injuries and disappointing form in front of goal mean he isn’t the answer, and while Kai Havertz did a fine job operating there throughout the second half of the 2023/24 season, it’s not his natural position.
With that said, the Gunners are reportedly keeping a close eye on Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and will be watching him in person soon. The striker shone for Coventry City in the Championship, but has taken to Portuguese football like a duck to water. He’d be the perfect option to come in and become Arsenal’s new number nine. He might just be the difference-maker.