Arsenal have plenty of work to do before the summer transfer window shuts at 11pm on Tuesday, September 1.
Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, acknowledges the fans following his team's victory in the 2026 FA Community Shield match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Principality Stadium on August 16, 2026 in Cardiff, Wales
Mikel Arteta will want to further bolster his Arsenal squad before deadline day(Image: Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
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Andrea Berta has plenty of work to do before the transfer window slams shut. So far this summer, the Arsenal sporting director has forked out £109million on new players and raked in about £40m from sales, but there's still plenty of business to be done in the coming days.
Despite plans to be 'very ambitious, very fast, and very smart', the Gunners had a disappointingly slow start to the window. After a month or so, Berta had only managed to wrap up a deal for Piero Hincapie, who had an option-to-buy clause in the loan agreement with Bayern Leverkusen, and sign Illan Meslier from Leeds United on a free transfer.
It wasn't until Mikel Arteta walked through the doors at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Monday, July 20, to begin pre-season training that the Arsenal sporting director reached into his wallet.
Shortly after the Gunners boss and his players began preparations for the new campaign, Berta signed Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge. Then, at the start of this month, the Italian prised Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United.
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In the meantime, Berta had cashed in on Jakub Kiwior, Christian Norgaard, Karl Hein, and Leandro Trossard. Every little helps, but having spent almost £400m since taking the reins in the summer of 2025 while recouping only about £50m, the Arsenal sporting director still needs to balance the books.
So, with that being said, football.london has looked at what Arsenal need to do before the transfer window slams shut at 11pm on Tuesday, September 1.
Mikel Arteta faces the press after his Arsenal side beat Man City and won the FA Community Shield
Mikel Arteta after his Arsenal side beat Man City and won the FA Community Shield(Image: Ian Cook - CameraSport via Getty Images)
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Arsenal finally sign Vinicius Jr alternative
Christos Tzolis has made a great impression so far this summer, and he could very well turn out to be the best value for money signing of the summer if Arsenal defend the Premier League title. Despite supposedly arriving as a rotation option, the 24-year-old winger suddenly looks set to become a key player.
Of course, Tzolis' upgraded role in the squad hinged on the failed signing of Vinicius Jr from Real Madrid, but he's proved himself more than worthy of a place in Arteta's starting lineup. That said, however, the Gunners still need to sign a top left-winger before the transfer window shuts.
Christos Tzolis and Martin Odegaard were clear standouts for Arsenal against Manchester City
Christos Tzolis and Martin Odegaard were clear standouts for Arsenal against Manchester City(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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With so many fixtures in the calendar and Gabriel Martinelli seemingly surplus to requirements, having been left out of the Community Shield squad at the weekend, Arsenal need to add a second strong left-sided forward to the armoury.
Until a world-class player becomes available for a reasonable fee, the Gunners should go for Marcus Rashford on loan and include an option to buy clause. In doing so, Arsenal can reassess the market next summer while being first in line to sign a player who notched 28 goal contributions last season for one of Europe's best teams.
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford faces an uncertain future(Image: Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
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To be signed: Marcus Rashford.
Martinelli and Jesus lead Arsenal fire sale
Arsenal need to offload some deadwood before the transfer window shuts. Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus should be the first of many players to leave the Emirates Stadium in the next week or two, having both recently entered the final 12-months of their respective contracts.
Fabio Vieira should go back to Hamburg, where he did well on loan last term, and Reiss Nelson needs to find a new home and get his career back on track. Despite only being a second-choice goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga has fallen widely short of expectations; the writing was on the wall when Berta signed Meslier, too.
Kepa Arrizabalaga made two big mistakes in Arsenal's pre-season clash with Real Betis
Kepa Arrizabalaga made two big mistakes in Arsenal's pre-season clash with Real Betis(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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To be sold: Gabriel Martinelli, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Gabriel Jesus.
To be loaned: Ethan Nwaneri.
Arteta eyes Arsenal dynasty
By reshuffling the pack and adding a top left-sided forward to the Arsenal squad, Arteta will have the tools to defend the Premier League title and take another stab at the Champions League. If sufficiently backed by Berta this summer, the Spaniard could very well lead the Gunners into a silverware-winning dynasty...