On Arsenal making tough calls and having the courage to wait in a crucial summer.
This is going to start off in very nerdy fashion, but stick with me here and I promise it’ll be worth it.
There is a game that just came out a couple months ago on the Nintendo Switch called Pokémon Champions. Unlike other titles in this series, there is no main story that you have to play through. It is a pure battle simulator, which means you get in there, rent a party of Pokémon or transfer some of your own in, and dive straight into competitive clashes online.
Now if you’re only generally familiar with the games or the overall franchise, you’d probably assume battling is straightforward and not intellectually challenging. That assumption would be incorrect. The Pokémon meta is actually rich and at this point a little convoluted. It’s chess on steroids, cocaine, and just a hint of LSD. Every single species of these super-powered fighting creatures (including all of the various regional and other forms) has its own base stat totals and within that, a range of what those stats actually come out to based on one of 25 possible natures and how they’re trained.
Additionally, they have their own abilities (many have two to three to choose from) that adds a layer of strategy to things. Then there’s hold items that can also cause a variety of effects. You can activate weather events in a battle that boost the impact some attacks, make other attacks never miss, or inflict damage on opponents for you. And then there are the several different power-ups you can make use of — Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, Dynamaxing, Terastalization, etc. Like I said, it gets complicated very quickly.
That’s why I don’t really partake in battling these days. I prefer games that are easygoing in pace with some mental stimulation, or that are action-packed with a compelling story. Champions is in an awkward middle ground for me, and I haven’t had time to purchase and play it anyway.
But back in the day, I did have a battling phase. It was multiple generations of games ago, but I used to try to put together teams and test them out online. I was never very good, but nonetheless I enjoyed myself. However, I had a fatal flaw: sentimentality.
You see, I kept trying to incorporate my favorite Pokémon, Feraligatr, into my competitive team. But in those days, Feraligatr simply wasn’t viable past a certain point. In certain settings that limited the use of top-tier creatures, a Feraligatr with Sheer Force as its ability and Dragon Dance as one of its moves could be pretty serviceable. But in the big leagues, its successes were few and far between. It was too slow, its move set was too predictable, and too many Pokémon were able to cope with it defensively. And try as I might, no items or weather effects or power-ups did enough to make Feraligatr reliable.
However, I persisted. I wanted to make it with a Pokémon I had used from the start of multiple titles and added to my team as soon as I could in others. But it simply would not perform the way I needed it to.
Eventually, I had to face the facts and move on from a Pokémon I really liked to remain competitive. And perhaps even more painfully, I was right to do so. Because when I replaced Feraligatr with the likes of Gyarados and Greninja, two alternatives with stronger typings and stats, I was able to hit harder, faster, and with more variety. Therefore, my teams did better and ultimately, although I was never willing to admit it, I had more fun.
Here’s the point where those of you who are just here for the football chat can lock back in: I feel that Arsenal face a similar situation this summer. Despite achieving glory in the form of winning the Premier League title, the season nevertheless ended on a disappointing note when they lost the Champions League final on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain. That setback made one thing extremely evident: as good as Mikel Arteta’s men are, there are still further levels this team can go to.
Before I dig further into this idea, I want to be very clear on something. I firmly believe that Arsenal were, without a shadow of a doubt, the best team in the English top flight last season. Frankly, they’ve been that in two of the last three Premier League campaigns, but they finally got that bit of luck that every set of champions needs to lift their trophy.
But being the best isn’t the same as being perfect. And if we’re being honest with ourselves, this team was not perfect. Far too often, Arsenal’s buildup was stifled by pretty foreseeable opposition setups. Even against the backdrop of a league-wide decline in attacking metrics, the Gunners were just not good enough at generating chances in the final third. And as has been the case for some time now, the team’s left side regularly was a non-factor.
Of course, Arsenal overcame these deficiencies effectively enough that they ended a 22-year wait for the league title and reached their first final of Europe’s most elite competition since 2006. However, things are only going to get harder from here. As shown by recent results at the World Cup, there are more talented players out there than ever, and many of those players can execute demanding game plans to a high level. Additionally, as the reigning Premier League champions Arsenal have a target on their backs. Their rivals will all aim to strengthen as much as possible; some significant player trading has already occurred while Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool have all hired big-name managers ahead of the new season.
Undoubtedly, the challenge will be greater in 2026/27. Sure, the current squad could be capable of retaining their crown without changes. But the goal of this summer must be to ensure that theyshould be capable. The goal must be to improve by any means necessary.
And when you’re already as good as Arsenal are, that means being ruthless. Arteta essentially confirmed as much following the lost Champions League final:
"We are going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it, but it is going to demand us to be very ambitious, very fast and very smart."
First and foremost, this will take the form of player sales in order to help fund and make room for the acquisition of upgrades in certain positions. This summer will be about taking a team that have won a title and firmly establishing it as one of the best sides in the world for years to come. That means investing in talent that is truly the crème de la crème in their positions. And at the most typical of times, those kinds of world beaters and superstars are quite expensive.
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But the early indications are that the 2026 summer transfer window will feature drastically inflated prices. City have just signed Elliot Anderson for a market-ruining £116 million (or so City say) while Spurs have reportedly just acquired both Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali for just shy of £200 million. Aston Villa and even Paris Saint-Germain have in response reportedly set their asking prices for Morgan Rogers and Bradley Barcola (seemingly Arsenal’s number one and number two targets for the left wing position) respectively at £130 million. Whether that’s what it would take to sign either player remains to be seen, but it will at the very least anchor the final expenditure upward. Every player worth signing for Arsenal will seemingly command a nine-figure fee.
It follows then that the Gunners will be forced to spend more on a per-player basis than they did last year. The bargain deals like those they did for Cristhian Mosquera and Martín Zubimendi will be harder to come by this time around. Which means that even though they’ve achieved record revenues this past season Arsenal will need to sell, not only to free up spots in a large squad but to balance the books as well; remember, there are still financial regulations to worry about.
But who do they sell? The club will certainly have to get what they can from players who are essentially surplus to requirements — squad members such as Kepa Arrizabalaga (if he chooses to leave), Christian Nørgaard, and Gabriel Jesus. Obviously, however, those departures won’t recoup much in the way of funds. Which means that Arsenal will probably have to kill some darlings.
To me, those darlings have become fairly obvious. The easiest place to start would be the Gunners’ left flank. Gabriel Martinelli produced an immensely impressive Champions League campaign, but only scored one goal (albeit one critical goal) in the Premier League last season. Leandro Trossard, despite demonstrating a bit more production in the English top flight, is in a similar boat. The Belgian only scored one goal for Arsenal across all competitions in 2026, although that also turned out to be a strike essential to the team’s fortunes.
But at this juncture, it’s clear that, if we’re being honest with ourselves, the left side of Mikel Arteta’s attack needs a boost in firepower. It needs to be dangerous enough to demand some of the defensive coverage that opponents currently commit to Bukayo Saka. Trossard and Martinelli, it must be said, don’t currently do that. And at the time of writing Arsenal seem to feel the same, as they have reportedly just agreed a €20 million fee for Trossard with Beşiktaş.
Also potentially expendable in the front line is one Viktor Gyökeres. The Swede was Arsenal’s top scorer last season, which again was one that saw them win a league title. He exhibited a decent amount of improvement in his duel-winning abilities and linkup play, and was willing to run himself into the ground off the ball. But Gyökeres’ general play remains quite clunky, and he frequently was a bit of a non-factor in matches against top-tier opponents. A potential swap deal with Atlético Madrid for Julian Alvarez represents an opportunity to trade the Gunners’ no. 14 for a forward with a higher ceiling.
Ben White also could leave for this reason. The defender has been a cult hero throughout his time at Arsenal. Rest assured, should he indeed depart this summer I will be writing something in tribute to him. But last season provided a solid sample size of evidence that White is at the end of his physical prime; the Englishman spent much of the past season dealing with injury and therefore forcing Jurriën Timber to perhaps play more minutes than he the Dutchman should have. He also now struggles defending out wide a little often for comfort. At White’s current age, it could be time to cash in and replace him with a younger full back.
Another Arsenal player in this tier of potential reluctant sales is the skipper himself. Martin Ødegaard was involved in some critical moments throughout the season, not least of all his match-winning assist at West Ham. But the Norwegian has now suffered through consecutive injury-riddled seasons. You would be forgiven for wondering if Ødegaard’s body can cope with the physical demands of the Premier League any longer. When he does make it onto the pitch, his impact can sometimes be underwhelming or occasionally even an impediment to Arsenal’s attacking play. With the Gunners finally securing a title, it feels possible that this summer may be an opportunity to cleanly go separate ways. Personally, I’m not sure that Ødegaard’s departure wouldn’t hurt more than help.
Lastly, there is the player whom no one wants to lose but would certainly recoup the most profit: Ethan Nwaneri. Things can always change, but at this point in time the signs don’t look good for the 19-year-old’s future in north London. In hindsight, the loan to Marseille was something of a disaster. His path to significant minutes for the Gunners seems limited with Ødegaard, Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino, and now Max Dowman vying for minutes in the same positions while the club is linked to potentially more there as well like Morgan Rogers. And while these are just rumors and should be treated as such, there has been talk of friction between Nwaneri’s camp and Arsenal.
In the meantime, the young Englishman has consistently drawn interest from a multitude of clubs. In January Bournemouth and Crystal Palace vied for his signature while in this window, the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle, and Borussia Dortmund have been linked. The fact is, Nwaneri is a player in demand. Because he is a Hale End graduate, any sale involving him would be booked entirely as profit. Given his status as a hot commodity, that profit surely be significant.
It’s not just players whom Arsenal are making tough decisions on. In the weeks since the conclusion of the 2025/26 campaign, several members of the backroom staff have taken their leave. The club’s Head of Sports Medicine Dr. Zafar Iqbal, Head of Sports Science and Performance Tom Allen, and Lead Physical Performance Coach Sam Wilson have all parted ways with the Gunners so far this offseason. Arsenal have already made multiple acquisitions to replace the trio — Arnaldo Abrantes from Aston Villa as the new Head of Medicine, Antonio Gómez from Braga as a fitness coach, and Eneko Angulo from Real Betis as a rehabilitation specialist. These moves are likely the product of a review by external physiological expert Joaquín Acedo from Cádiz.
This of course follows multiple seasons in which Arsenal suffered an outsized number of injuries across their squad. Even in a title-winning campaign the likes of White, Timber, Ødegaard, Gabriel, Saka, Mikel Merino, Noni Madueke, Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapié, and Kai Havertz were out of action for extended periods. With some of the Gunners’ stars looking likely to miss the start of the new season due to lingering effects from the previous one, the club have decided to make changes with an eye toward improving matters in that regard.
While these adjustments might seem obvious and straightforward for those of us who are online, a safe distance away from the room where it happens, there is still a human element to this. These are still personal and professional relationships that are being affected; the departing staff were in the building every day and on countless journeys with this team, through the good times and bad. Iqbal was on the parade bus and shared in the celebrations of Arsenal’s greatest triumph in 22 years, just as I’m sure Allen and Wilson were. These are still difficult conversations in which people who have loyally contributed to the club’s history are informed they will not be part of their future. It is a hard thing to tell someone you’ve achieved success with that it is time to move on.
Of course, that doesn’t excuse the necessity of these actions. At the end of the day, results don’t care about your feelings. But there is a reason why so many clubs wait too long to enact these measures or never do so at all. Having the courage to break some eggs in order to make an omelet, and to look others in the eye while doing so, is what earns the big bucks.
There is of course another price of ambition. Because that ambition, that drive to become the best in the world, requires progressing from solid and loyal servants to the club to unmatched talents and personalities. Normally, acquiring those last couple of players to really take a team over the line is expensive and takes time.
Not only are those precious few footballers so valuable to the clubs parting ways with them, but often it is the case that these two other parties to any deal must be allowed to organically reach a natural end point for their own relationship before a willing buyer can truly get involved. Attempting to force these developments could turn the player or their club against you and jeopardize the signing. Tact and patience are key pillars of such transfers.
But we live in a social media era in which “winning the transfer window” is seemingly given more weight than winning the actual games. Now, we are fed constant updates of not only our own club’s steps in the market, but all our rivals’ as well. That overflow of information has adverse effects. Seeing others receive their requested doses of dopamine from their teams hastily firing their money cannons breeds envy and eventually, rage toward their own club.
Arsenal fans find themselves in that position at the moment. City and Spurs are making huge splashes in the market while the Gunners are choosing to be cautious, and supporters of the English champions have built up enough angst to start launching criticism at Andrea Berta for not making the transfer machine light up and make noise at the first possible opportunity. Many are infected with status anxiety.
And if there’s anything we have learned from the last season, it is that figures at the club know quite well what is said about them online. I’m sure the urge to do the popular thing and spend what it takes to sign who’s available right this second is tempting, even for experienced operators like Berta. But their job requires that they persist with the plan, preparing contingencies and keeping tabs and biding time until it is appropriate to pounce.
That is, ultimately, the cost of discipline: looking like you have no idea what you’re doing until you do. Countless people around the world have been fooled by this accidental illusion. And in the transfer market, achieving progress for a club that wishes to take a step further after reaching the summit of the Premier League requires discipline not to cave to external pressures. It requires the ambition necessary to avoid settling for an overpay like Tonali and pursue Bruno Guimarães instead, to keep an eye on Barcola and Rogers while also setting yourself up to be in the room if Vinicius Junior departs Real Madrid.
Ultimately, we won’t know for some time whether Arsenal’s execution has matched their proclaimed ambition. After all, the signing of Viktor Gyökeres received a mixed reception and he has just finished as the club’s top scorer in a title-winning season. Hincapié, Eze, Madueke, and Martín Zubimendi all shouldered their fair share of abuse but also contributed to that glorious purpose.
But one thing that is already evident is the cost of doing the business Arsenal have done and will need to do to become even greater. And yes, if that business isn’t good enough at the end of the day, they should hear about it. However, they are paying that price of ambition just as much as the rest of us are.
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