Arsenal began last season looking like they belonged at the very top of the Premier League. The first-choice XI could stand toe-to-toe with Manchester City and Liverpool, and for a time they did. Then injuries struck. Odegaard lost three months to an ankle problem. Saka missed nearly four months from December into spring. Gabriel’s season ended in February. With those pillars gone, the foundation cracked. Academy graduates and fringe players were asked to carry the load, but the squad lacked the depth and presence of a true number nine. The title chase fell apart before May.
The message was obvious. Arsenal had the quality to challenge but not the resilience to finish. The summer window demanded clarity and conviction. That is exactly what Andrea Berta delivered.
Where Arsenal Stood
Arsenal were no longer a side on the rise. Under Mikel Arteta, they had already established themselves as consistent challengers. But the margins at the top were razor thin, and any weakness would be punished.
The problem was not in the first-choice lineup but in what sat beneath it. When the core was broken, there was no second wave strong enough to sustain the challenge. Squad roles were thinly covered, and the absence of a focal striker left the attack predictable.
Selling was another drag. Departures rarely brought meaningful fees, limiting the club’s ability to refresh the squad without leaning on heavy net spend.
Andrea Berta walked into that context in March 2025. He inherited momentum and ambition, but also a squad still one key step short: resilience. The task was to strengthen the layers beneath the stars while keeping the technical and tactical edge that had carried Arsenal into the conversation at the top.
Transfer Strategy and Outcomes
Berta’s first window was measured by both scope and precision. Arsenal committed more than £250 million, spreading investment across every line of the pitch. The result was not just depth for depth’s sake but targeted upgrades that filled long-standing gaps.
Martin Zubimendi: The Midfield Anchor
The Basque midfielder had been on Arsenal’s radar for months, but his formal arrival marked a turning point. Zubimendi gives the team control in high-pressure matches, something they often lacked when games tilted chaotic. His ability to sit, recycle, and cover allows Declan Rice to push higher without leaving space exposed.
The value goes beyond freeing Rice. Together, the two can switch roles within games, Rice dropping deeper to drive play, Zubimendi stepping forward to link passes. That interchange adds layers to Arsenal’s midfield, giving Arteta more than one way to set the tempo. It was the kind of signing that instantly reshaped both the balance and flexibility of the side’s core.
Viktor Gyokeres: The Missing Striker
For years Arsenal searched for a centre forward who could combine presence with end product. Gyökeres brought something different — raw power and a relentless, almost obsessive drive to score. At £64 million, he arrived not as a prospect for tomorrow but as a forward built to deliver immediately. His game is about constant pressure on defenders, scrapping for every ball, and turning half-chances into goals. It was the kind of mentality Arsenal had lacked, a sharper edge compared to the fluid but often forgiving profiles already in the squad.
Arsenal had tracked Sesko for a long stretch, but the deal drifted. Berta shifted the focus to Gyökeres and moved fast. The choice favored immediate output over a longer runway.
Eberechi Eze: The Flexible Playmaker
Eze’s move from Crystal Palace solved two problems in one stroke. On the left, he could give Gabriel Martinelli genuine competition and rest. In central areas, he offered another creative option, capable of driving runs and threading passes through tight lines. His ability to switch roles within the same match gave Arteta flexibility that had often been missing when Odegaard or Saka were unavailable. The addition carried risk , stepping into a big-club spotlight always does but it raised the ceiling of Arsenal’s attacking patterns.
Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera: Depth with Upside
Madueke arrived as a wide option who can operate on either flank, offering direct dribbling and unpredictability. For a squad that had leaned heavily on Saka, the signing mattered as much for rotation as for impact. Mosquera, by contrast, looked like a classic value buy. At just 19, he walked into a high-intensity fixture and played with composure. He may not start every week, but his profile fit the model: affordable talent who could grow into a long-term solution.
Piero Hincapie: The Defensive Puzzle Piece
Structuring the deal over phases protected flexibility across the window and matched a clear tactical need on the left side of defense. It was creative deal-making that blended financial control with squad necessity.
Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard: Housekeeping Moves
Not every move was flashy, but every move mattered. Kepa gave Arsenal experienced cover in goal, avoiding the risk of overexposing a young backup. Norgaard, meanwhile, was a steady addition in midfield rotation, capable of taking minutes that had previously overburdened Jorginho or forced Rice to play every game. These were functional signings that addressed the weak spots fans only notice when they go wrong.
Together, these eight deals told a clear story: Arsenal were no longer papering over cracks. Under Berta, they built a squad that could absorb injuries, rotate without collapse, and finally compete on multiple fronts.
Philosophy in Action
Andrea Berta’s first summer in charge showed clear principles at work. The moves were not scattershot or driven by headline chasing. They reflected a deliberate framework that blended short-term competitiveness with long-term resilience.
The first pillar was depth over luxury. Arsenal could have spent the bulk of their budget on Alexander Isak or another marquee forward. Instead, Berta spread resources across eight players, reducing the risk of being left exposed if one target failed to deliver. It gave Mikel Arteta multiple tools rather than one centerpiece.
The second was age and readiness. Arsenal did not just buy prospects. Gyokeres at 27, Eze at 27, and Zubimendi at 26 arrived in their prime, ready to contribute immediately. There was still room for younger talent like Mosquera, but the balance leaned toward players who could handle the demands of a title run this season.
The third was tactical variety. In past years, Arsenal’s attack often funneled through the same patterns. By adding Eze and Madueke, Arteta gained new angles. Eze can drift inside and link play, Madueke offers direct pace on either wing, and Gyokeres provides a penalty-box presence Arsenal had lacked. The squad can now adapt to opponents rather than forcing the same script every week.
Finally, there was risk management. Spreading investment meant that if one player struggles whether Gyokeres adapting to England or Eze adjusting to the demands of a bigger club the season does not hinge on that single bet. Each deal fit into a wider puzzle rather than carrying outsized weight.
These principles mirror the approach Berta honed at Atletico Madrid: squads built to handle long campaigns, with enough balance to ride out injuries and fixture congestion. Arsenal now look closer to that standard a team less fragile, more adaptable, and better prepared to push until the final weeks of the season.
Contrast with Edu
Arsenal’s last sporting director, Edu, deserves credit for helping lift the club back into contention. He oversaw the transition from a drifting squad to one capable of pushing for titles, but his approach carried clear limitations. Edu preferred long pursuits, often stretching negotiations for months. Targets like Benjamin Sesko were tracked for more than a year. He favored keeping recruitment quiet, rarely using the media as leverage. And his bets leaned toward younger projects who could grow into roles rather than players ready to decide the biggest matches immediately.
Berta’s arrival marked a break in style. He pivoted quickly when deals stalled, as shown by the move from Sesko to Gyokeres. He spread risk across multiple prime-age signings instead of waiting for prospects to mature. He has also been more comfortable shaping narratives through media visibility, allowing Arsenal to pressure counterparties and influence perception in a way Edu avoided.
The difference shows in the squad profile. Under Edu, Arsenal often carried talent but lacked alternatives when the first-choice XI broke down. Under Berta, depth was treated as a priority. Players like Eze, Madueke, and Norgaard may not headline a season, but they raise the floor when injuries strike.
The shift is not without questions. Edu’s patience meant lower churn and stronger continuity. Berta’s aggressive turnover builds a squad that looks ready to win now, but if repeated every summer it risks eroding continuity and the long-term DNA Arteta has been shaping. For this season, though, the contrast is clear: Edu steadied Arsenal, Berta is pushing them to finish the job.
Operations and Process
Execution mattered as much as vision. Arsenal’s pursuit of a striker is the prime example. The club had tracked Benjamin Sesko for 18 months, but when Leipzig dragged their feet, Berta made the call to pivot to Gyokeres. The deal was swift and decisive, avoiding a saga that could have cost Arsenal their summer.
The Hincapie transfer underlined a different strength: creativity in structuring agreements. With finances tight after heavy spending, Arsenal secured the defender through a loan-to-buy model that balanced short-term cash flow with long-term control. It was pragmatic business without weakening the squad.
Across the board, moves felt mapped. A second-choice keeper arrived in Kepa. Norgaard provided a Jorginho replacement. Mosquera added depth in central defense. Nothing about the window was scattershot. It looked like a plan carried through with discipline.
Performance Impact
The impact has already been felt on the pitch. When Saka needed a rest, Madueke stepped in with pace and directness from the right. Zubimendi’s pairing with Rice has given Arsenal a midfield spine that screens counterattacks and sustains pressure. Gyokeres has provided a penalty-box presence that changes how Arsenal attack low blocks, a missing piece for years.
Mosquera’s early minutes showed composure far beyond his age. He slotted into a hostile away environment and looked immediately comfortable, proof that depth signings can contribute now as well as later.
The key difference is resilience. Last season the loss of Odegaard, Saka, or Gabriel tilted the whole team off balance. This season, Arsenal can rotate without losing their shape. The squad feels equipped to absorb the bumps of a full campaign and keep pushing for silverware.
Outgoings
Incomings were organized and timely. Exits weren’t as productive. Several moves landed as loans, including Zinchenko to Nottingham Forest, and the fees for fringe players were modest. That leaves more work to do on the selling side.
The contrast with rivals was stark. Liverpool, for example, sold fringe midfielder Tyler Morton to Lyon for £13m despite limited minutes. Arsenal, by comparison, accepted less than £3m for Lokonga after a solid loan spell at Sevilla. That gap underlines the club’s ongoing struggle to extract value from players no longer central to the project.
To be fair, these were not contracts of Berta’s making. Many were inherited from the Edu era, shaped by inflated wages or declining stock. Even the best negotiator would have struggled to command premium fees in those cases. Still, the pattern matters. Arsenal’s net spend soared higher than their competitors, and future flexibility depends on correcting this weakness. Berta’s next challenge is to turn loans into permanent sales and establish a sharper selling model that aligns with the standards of Europe’s top operators.
Reasoned Critique
Berta’s first window was not flawless. Arsenal still struggled to bring in meaningful money from sales. Zinchenko departed on loan, Lokonga went for a modest fee, and Reiss Nelson left only on a temporary deal. Compared to rivals who turned fringe players into real cash, the club remains behind in extracting value from those no longer central to the project. That weakness will have to be addressed if Arsenal want to keep spending at this level without jeopardising sustainability.
On the pitch, there are performance questions to watch. Gyokeres looks built for English football, but he must prove his scoring record can carry through a full Premier League season. Eze is stepping into a different stage of his career. Moving from Palace to Arsenal means handling the expectation of a big club fighting on four fronts. The ability is not in doubt, the test is consistency at this level.
There is also a bigger-picture question. This summer’s approach was bold, front-loaded, and highly aggressive. It gives Arsenal the tools to win now, but it raises the bar for immediate success. If Berta were to push this level of turnover every year, the risk is that constant change erodes the continuity and identity Arteta has built. Recruitment can refresh a squad, but if pushed too far, it can start to reshape the club’s DNA. This window sets Arsenal up for a title run, it also creates pressure to show that the approach works.
What Comes Next
The next phase of Berta’s work is already clear. Contract renewals sit at the top of the list. Keeping Saka and Saliba committed long term is as significant as any new arrival. Stability at the core will determine how much this squad can achieve across multiple campaigns.
Sales strategy is the second front. If Arsenal are to keep building aggressively, they need to be sharper sellers. The inability to move on fringe players for real fees leaves money on the table and narrows future options. Correcting that will be a major test of Berta’s influence.
And then there is Europe. Champions League football will stress-test the depth that has been assembled. Matches at that level will show whether Mosquera can stand up to elite forwards, whether Madueke can produce against top-tier defenses, and whether the midfield pairing of Rice and Zubimendi can control games on the biggest stage.
Berta’s first summer at Arsenal was not about headlines. It was about putting the squad in position to handle a season’s chaos. By spreading investment and addressing defined needs, he has given Arteta the tools to compete across all fronts. This is no longer a team built only to challenge tomorrow. With Gyokeres providing a focal point, Zubimendi anchoring midfield, and Eze adding unpredictability, Arsenal now have the depth and variety to push for silverware this season.