Mikel Arteta will no doubt be keeping tabs on the 10 Arsenal transfer targets competing at this summer's World Cup for their respective countries
04:30, 07 Jun 2026
Marcus Rashford of England and Morgan Rogers of England on June 02, 2026 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
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Several Arsenal transfer targets will be in action at the World Cup 2026(Image: Getty)
Mikel Arteta sent a clear message to the Arsenal hierarchy after the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gunners came agonisingly close to dethroning the reigning European champions in Budapest last weekend. They drew 1-1 after 120 minutes but lost out on their first Champions League trophy after Gabriel Magalhaes blazed the fifth and final penalty over the bar in a tense shootout.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Arteta did not mince his words when identifying the key difference between his side and Luis Enrique’s PSG, claiming the French champions possess individual difference-makers in forward positions. The Arsenal manager hinted that club bosses would have to act decisively in the upcoming summer transfer window to close the gap on their European rivals.
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He began by saying: "[We need] to improve and reach a different level, because it would demand a different level with the quality around Europe [to reach another final]."
Arteta added when asked whether he’ll look to emulate PSG’s style of play in the future: "Yes and the individual action that they have for sure. I will take a few days off with my family and then we will all start the process to review what we've done.
"We’ll start to make some very important decisions. We want to reach another level. We're going to have to show that ambition because they are more than capable of doing it but it's going to demand us to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart."
Julian Alvarez (left) and Nicolas Tagliafico (right) of Argentina arrives for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Kansas City International Airport on May 31, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri.
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Julian Alvarez has arrived in Kansas City with the Argentina squad(Image: Getty)
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass 'designed for football'
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Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that's 'designed for football' from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.
The Kroenke ownership’s expenditure of over £250million last summer - a club record - was justified following the club’s first Premier League title triumph in 22 years this season. Arteta’s wishes could be granted given Josh Kroenke has now tasted success, and the American’s recent comments suggest Arsenal could even exceed last year’s expenditure in the coming months.
The World Cup 2026 will feature some of the players that have recently been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, presenting Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta the opportunity to get one final look at their top transfer targets. With that being said, here's a list of all previously linked Arsenal transfer targets in action at this summer’s highly anticipated tournament.
10 players at the World Cup linked with an Arsenal transfer:
Tino Livramento (England - Newcastle)
Nathaniel Brown (Germany - Frankfurt)
Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco - Lille)
Morgan Rogers (England - Aston Villa)
Rafael Leao (Portugal - AC Milan)
Portugal's forward Rafael Leao attends a training session ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras on June 1, 2026.
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Arsenal continue to be linked with Portugal's Rafael Leao(Image: Getty)
Bradley Barcola (France - Paris Saint-Germain)
Marcus Rashford (England - Manchester United)
Kenan Yildiz (Turkey - Juventus)
Nico Williams (Spain - Athletic Club)
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Julian Alvarez (Argentina - Atletico Madrid)
England's 2026 World Cup kits
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England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer's FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code: ENGFREEDEL