There is immense pressure on Mikel Arteta to deliver silverware at Arsenal this season.
The Gunners have now spent over £900m since hiring the Spaniard in December 2019 – but only have the FA Cup and the Community Shield to show for such lavish spending.
For context, Oliver Glasner can boast the same haul in 18 months at Crystal Palace.
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Arsenal have now added to the pressure on Mikel Arteta through the manner in which Piero Hincapie was unveiled on transfer deadline day.
“Final piece of the puzzle” claim adds to expectations at Arsenal
Andrea Berta signed the Ecuador international on loan from Bayer Leverkusen – with an obligation to buy for £45m.
Arsenal then described Hincapie – who they think could be special – as “the final piece of the puzzle” on X (previously known as Twitter) when announcing the deal.
It signalled the end of a £250m summer spending spree, but that bold caption also sent a message out to fans that the squad is now complete, meaning Arteta will have few excuses if the 2025/26 campaign ends without a trophy.
The 43-year-old would surely have preferred Arsenal to post a less pressurising message after signing Hincapie, but the fact of the matter is that he really does need to deliver a title this season.
Gary Lineker comments from January now add even more pressure on Mikel Arteta
Gary Lineker defended Arteta when discussing his future on The Rest Is Football podcast back in January, adding that Arsenal will “definitely” be challenging when a top striker arrives.
The 64-year-old said: “They need to make that step… I think he’s overall done a brilliant job. He’s got them really, really competitive again at the top of the league, season in, season out.
“They’re not far off. I think we’ve all said frequently that the one thing that’s probably missing is bringing in a centre forward that can do damage.”
Arsenal now have that striker in Viktor Gyokeres – a £64m arrival from Sporting CP – and seeing as the Gunners also added further quality in the form of Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi and others, Arteta really does have all the tools he needs to take his side to the next level this term.