No Excuses As Spain-Imbued Arsenal Invests In Fourth Time Lucky

Arsenal is spending the bucks on new signings this offseason in an attempt to make the final leap, namely winning the Premier League, where it has finished second on three consecutive occasions, or the Champions League (semifinalists last time out) by the close of the 2025/26 campaign.

Despite this, there may be a temptation to control the narrative, to take the pressure off. It’s correct that Liverpool is the biggest mover and shaker among the English top-flight forces this summer, capitalizing on its league-winning status and enviable financial resources to level up. Meanwhile, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said his squad was lacking numbers only a week ago.

Since then, Arsenal has added forward Viktor Gyökeres, an anticipated game-changer for an initial €63 million ($71 million). The foundations are already there—a Spanish coach with a defined method of playing, smoothened by extracting the cream of Real Sociedad’s midfield: Mikel Merino and now Martín Zubimendi. The Gunners have also introduced ex-La Liga pair Kepa Arrizabalaga (goalkeeper) and Cristhian Mosquera (central defender) to the setup.

First, what’s the argument for Gyökeres proving the difference in helping Arsenal win the most coveted trophies? The Sweden international averaged around a goal every game across the Spanish border in Portugal for Sporting. Given how Arsenal’s lineup, sharing the scoring load, has frequently coped without an orthodox finisher, he arguably doesn’t need to be an all-round gem—just someone to apply the final touch. Easier said than done, of course.

Aged 27, Gyökeres isn’t exactly a late bloomer. Nevertheless, before 2021 and his permanent move to Coventry in England’s Championship, the Scandinavian was by no means a prolific frontman. “His biggest talent is he’s so determined, focused, and stubborn,” Dalibor Savic, his former youth coach at Brommapojkarna, recently said. “He keeps working for it, trying to be a better player every week and every day.” He will need that drive in the Premier League, a huge step up from the Primeira Liga, whose clubs currently rank seventh in UEFA’s coefficient.

Arsenal Ambitions Born In Spain

From a strategic outlook, Arsenal is well-placed to deliver this term. Appointed at the end of March, sporting director Andrea Berta has now got his feet under the table. Berta arrived at the Emirates Stadium with a strong reputation, having contributed to a raft of influential transfers to Atlético Madrid over 12 seasons in the Spanish capital. Of course, not every signing worked a treat, but Atleti has collected two league titles since 2013.

As much as narrowly missing out on glory can knock a team in the moment, its competitive experience should once again serve Arsenal well in the long term. The squad (preparing for a preseason test against rival Tottenham in Hong Kong) has been able to reboot mentally. And the arrivals—Gyökeres, Zubimendi, Kepa, Mosquera, Noni Madueke, and Christian Nørgaard—see the project with fresh eyes. At the back, the Gunners still have William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, fronting the best defense (only conceding 34 goals) last season.

Premier League soccer is ruthlessly competitive and, for that, it’s maybe too simplistic to call just missing out on the title a failure. However, should Basque tactician Arteta’s bid fall short again, there can be no excuses. The building blocks are in place to finish the race in first, and more recruits could be coming before the September 1 market deadline. Is Arsenal’s moment now?