Last month, Arsenal have ended 22 years without a Premier League title, ending an interminable weight that felt like it would never come as Mikel Arteta's side finished second for three years in a row.
The celebrations have been exultant, the streets of London running red as the Gunners have celebrated an incredible triumph, but Arteta is anything but content, determined to showcase his capacity to sustain a period of success in north London.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reacts
How, though, does the title-winning Spaniard plan to make it happen? Well, he's already set his sights on a rising Premier League sensation.
Arsenal make Premier League midfielder their priority target
Arteta is ambitious, and those ambitions are shared by co-owner Josh Kroenke, who wants to cement a dynasty in north London.
To achieve this, it's clear that Arsenal are going to need to strenghten further, building on the foundations laid under technical director Andrea Berta last year.
Up top, Arsenal have left a few things to be desired, and the middle of the park could also do with an extra dimension.
According to Caught Offside, Arsenal are falling behind Manchester United in the race for Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali, though that is because the champions are focusing on signing Mateus Fernandes instead.
Mateus-Fernandes-West-Ham
Valued at £80m by his employers (though those demands will be difficult to maintain given the Irons' 18th-place finish), Fernandes, 21, has emerged as one of the most exciting midfielders in the Premier League, now looking to leave the London Stadium following West Ham United's relegation.
United are also keen on Fernandes, but Arsenal have made him their priority target this summer, and Arteta could secure an elite prospect by bringing him over, landing a midfielder who could even replace Martin Zubimendi in the Emirates engine room.
Why Fernandes can replace Zubimendi at Arsenal
This year, Fernandes scored three goals and supplied four assists across 36 Premier League matches, but that doesn't even tell half the story. In spite of West Ham's relegation, the Portuguese talent has been called a "superstar" of a player by football writer Joost van der Leij.
The 27-year-old's influence waned as the season deepened, and Fernandes could provide that extra bit of spark, especially when considering how he has battled relegation this year, and not challenged at the right end of the table.
Premier League Comparison (2025/26)
Stats (* per 90)
Matches (starts)
Goals + Assists
Touches*
Accurate passes*
Chances created*
Possession lost*
Succ. dribbles*
Ball recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Duels (won)*
An elegant and incisive passer, Fernandes would perfectly complement Rice, bringing the box-to-box quality that Zubimendi hasn't quite maintained throughout the season.
Is this a bit of a nit-pick? Quite possibly; but then, when you are as good as Arsenal, it's important to nit-pick and ensure fragilities are picked out with a fine comb and then dealt with.
Fernandes is also more athletic and well rounded than his Iberian counterpart, having proven himself capable of withstanding the pressures of a Premier League dogfight.
The respective midfielders could share a role in Arteta's outfit; signing Fernandes would only reinforce the club's ambitions. But when considering Arsenal's campaign through a cynical lens, it would be fair to argue that creativity could have been tuned to a higher frequency, and Fernandes would help solve that problem.
mateus Fernandes
Some may decide to reserve judgement on a midfielder who has now suffered back-to-back relegations from the Premier League, but Fernandes is the real deal, and he will secure his place in Arsenal's starting line-up next season, should he be signed.
Mateus-Fernandes-West-Ham Related
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