REUTERS/David Klein
Arsenal are two wins from two in the Premier League. They have scored four goals and not conceded yet.
David Raya didn't have to make a single save on Monday evening against Aston Villa. For a trip to Villa Park, it's usually a tough ride, but even the rest of the defence went relatively untested.
REUTERS/David Klein
So, everything is rather positive down in north London, is it not? Well, not quite. The way in which the transfer window played out was not ideal for Mikel Arteta as he missed out on a number of top targets.
Why Arsenal should not be happy with their transfer window
This was it. After 22 years, the Gunners had finally won the Premier League. The moment had arrived for a major summer.
With clout behind their back, Andrea Berta and the Kroenkes were going to be able to entice some of the biggest talents in world football to the Emriates Stadium.
REUTERS/Matthew Childs
Well, that's not how it played out. At first, they wanted Morgan Rogers. He was the dream target for Arsenal and there was a belief the player wanted the move.
However, we all know how Berta works, he likes to spin multiple plates at a time. That, however, cost them a free run at the England international.
In pounced Chelsea and paid a £117m transfer fee that Arsenal were not willing to match. That was target one done and dusted.
most expensive premier league signings ever (timeless - isak, barcola, enzo fernandez, rice, tonali, caicedo, wirtz)
The English champions then looked at Vinicius Junior. This was a market opportunity. The Brazilian's contract expired in a year and there was no sign he wanted to pen renewed terms. Well, despite Arsenal's best efforts to throw a load of cash his way, Madrid upped their own offer and they were able to keep the iconic winger in Madrid.
Liverpool new boy Bradley Barcola was also looked at but deemed not suitable at a £123m price tag. Juventus' Kenan Yildiz was also impossible to sign, particularly after he picked up an injury in the final stages of August.
Reuters/Caean Couto
So, Arsenal were made to lick their wounds. They did at least complete some positive business. Christos Tzolis, despite his wretched night in the Midlands on Monday, looks immense value at £34m, as does Bruno Guimaraes.
Newcastle's former captain could prove to be the signing of the summer at just £75m. Ezri Konsa also followed him to the tune of £55m.
Arteta will no doubt be satisifed they were able to sign two of the best players in the division but he will be deeply frustrated that an elite forward eluded them.
£102m transfer could have sealed the title for Arsenal
Speaking after the Champions League final defeat to PSG at the end of May, the Arsenal boss issued a rallying cry ahead of the transfer window.
"We will start to make some very important decisions if we want to reach another level," the Spaniard began. "And we're going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it, but it's going to demand to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart."
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Well, have the club met his levels of ambition? It's difficult to suggest they have. A move for Vini Jr was certainly ambitious but the fact they did not secure an alternative target is concerning.
For the most part, Arsenal ultimately ended up chasing players who did not want them. Vinicius was more than content to stay in Spain, as was a certain Julian Alvarez.
Vinicius-Junior-World-Cup-Brazil
This was one of the sagas of the summer. The Argentine wanted to join Barcelona but Atletico Madrid were unwilling to sell him to another LaLiga side. As a result, Arsenal became the only realistic contenders for his signature. According to Spanish reporter Pedro Morata, Arsenal and Atleti actually had an agreement in place of £102m to seal the transfer but the player was insistent he did not want the move.
It was a huge blow for the Gunners. This was the game-changing signing that not only would have carried them to a successive Premier League crown, but potentially a first Champions League title too.
Why? Well, the record of Alvarez compared to Kai Havertz speaks for itself.
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Havertz vs Alvarez: 2025/26 league stats
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The German has been the preferred choice up top this season, so much so that Viktor Gyokeres hasn't actually seen a minute of Premier League action yet. However, Havertz has been rather hit or miss.
Against Manchester City and Coventry he played a vital part, scoring in both games but against Aston Villa he really struggled. The former Chelsea man was caught offside on five occasions and completed just 73% of his passes. He failed to knit things together very efficiently at all.
Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs
This is why they need Alvarez. Gyokeres and Havertz have simply been too inconsistent in recent seasons. The arrival of an elite striker such as the Argentine would have changed the game. This is a player who bagged 29 for Atletico in his debut year in Spain and a player who is proven in English football too.
Even when he played second fiddle to Erling Haaland, the Argentine's final year at City saw him score 19 and assist 13. As his international colleague Franco Mastantuono once put it, he is "one of the best players in the world".
REUTERS/Thomas Peter
To seal such a game-changer for just over £100m would have been phenomenal business. Arsenal may yet rue the deals they were unable to conclude this summer.
Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez
Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez