Arsenal face questions about their attacking depth after the summer transfer window closed with only one forward addition. The Premier League champions failed to sign primary targets Julian Alvarez, Vinicius Junior and Morgan Rogers, according to a report from Sky Sports Football published on Tuesday.
Arteta's side currently sit second in the Premier League with six points from two wins, having scored four goals without conceding. Their next challenge comes against Chelsea at home on September 6th, a fixture you can view on our fixtures page.
What happened in Arsenal's transfer window?
Arsenal started the summer with Morgan Rogers as their number one forward target. They ultimately failed to secure his signature, with Chelsea completing that transfer instead. The club also pursued Julian Alvarez, but the Atletico Madrid forward chose to stay in Spain after attempting to force a move to Barcelona. Vinicius Junior remained at Real Madrid.
The only attacking arrival was Christos Tzolis, who joined from Club Brugge. Manager Mikel Arteta had said the club would be "ambitious" and "fast" in the transfer market. In contrast, Arsenal sold Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus, while allowing Ethan Nwaneri to join Borussia Dortmund on loan.
This leaves the squad with four first-team forwards departing and just one arriving. The numbers suggest a significant reduction in both quantity and quality in the final third.
How does this affect Arsenal's squad depth?
Arsenal's forward options now look particularly thin on the left wing and at centre forward. Tzolis is the only recognised left-sided attacker available until at least January. Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke can fill in there but are primarily needed in other positions.
In the central striking role, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres are the current options. That represents one fewer specialist than last season. Arteta reportedly feared the title race had slipped away in November 2025 when only Mikel Merino was available as a striker.
Tzolis played just under 4,400 minutes for Club Brugge last season. That's around 900 minutes less than Martinelli and Trossard combined for Arsenal during the same period. The Greek international may need to play approximately ten more matches this campaign to cover the shortfall.
Where did Arsenal strengthen this summer?
The club did address other areas of the squad. They completed a £75 million deal for midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, who was among the top Premier League players at breaking opposition defensive lines last season. He made an impressive cameo debut against Aston Villa.
Right-back depth was bolstered by the signing of Ezri Konsa, with Jurrien Timber and Ben White having experienced injury issues. The defensive back-up options now include Timber, White, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie and Konsa.
Arsenal also revolutionised their medical department over the summer. These improvements could help maintain the availability of key players like Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard throughout the season. You can track player fitness on our dedicated injuries page.
What does this mean for the title race?
Manchester City strengthened with Elliot Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Enzo Fernandez. Chelsea addressed weaknesses in goal, defence and experience while signing Morgan Rogers. Arsenal's perceived shortage in attack could open up the Premier League title race.
The squad still maintains two players for every position, with some roles having three options. Sixteen-year-old Max Dowman is set for a bigger first-team role and could fill in at right wing or as a number ten.
Arsenal's strong defensive record this season shows they remain difficult to beat. They have kept clean sheets in both league matches while scoring four goals. Their next fixture against fourth-placed Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on September 6th will provide an early test of their attacking resources. The current league table shows Arsenal just behind the leaders, which you can follow on our standings page.
