football.london looks at the reaction from Arsenal after a disappointing end to the transfer window
Mikel Arteta wanted Arsenal to raise the ceiling this summer transfer window
Mikel Arteta wanted a world class forward signing this summer(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
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The final hours of the summer transfer window passed with an uncomfortable silence at the Emirates Stadium.
No dramatic deadline-day arrival, no announcement that would shift the mood of a fanbase that had spent weeks watching one target after another slip through the club's fingers. When the window closed on Tuesday night, Arsenal were left in a position many had feared - stronger in some areas, but still without the elite attacking presence that Mikel Arteta has long identified as the missing piece.
The mood around the club this week has been mixed. There is genuine appreciation for the work done - five signings worth a combined £200million still cannot be sniffed at. Piero Hincapie's deal was made permanent, Illan Meslier arrived on a free transfer and the impressive trio of Christos Tzolis, Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa gave Arsenal supporters reason for optimism heading into the new campaign.
However, sporting director Andrea Berta and Arteta chased some of European football's most coveted attackers across the entirety of the summer window, only to find each avenue closed off in the final weeks. The departures of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard have further thinned an already stretched forward line, and the pressure is now on Arsenal's existing squad to cover the gap.
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The squad, when fit, has genuine quality throughout, but the consensus is that Arteta's side lack the individual X-factor to push on. Without that player, questions about Arsenal's capacity to sustain a full-season charge are unlikely to disappear. Now, football.london looks at two of the most significant stories to emerge in the wake of the window closing.
Three January targets mentioned
Julian Alvarez of Atletico de Madrid trains with his teammates during a training session at the Atletico de Madrid Training Complex in Madrid, Spain, on September 1, 2026. (Photo by Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Arsenal could try to sign Julian Alvarez again(Image: NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Arsenal came up short in their ambitious pursuits of both Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez over the course of the summer. The two La Liga stars ultimately remained at their respective clubs for different reasons.
Vinicius, who had reportedly agreed personal terms with Arsenal, penned an improved contract extension at Real Madrid after the Spanish giants decided the Brazilian was simply too valuable to part ways with. Alvarez, meanwhile, was faced with a straight choice between staying at Atletico or joining Arsenal, and opted for the former after his preferred move to Barcelona was blocked by the club.
But The Independent reports that Arsenal could revisit both Alvarez and Vinicius in January, when the transfer window reopens. The report claims the Gunners are likely to enter the market in the new year should Arteta find his attacking resources stretched by injuries, with the situations of both players potentially shifting enough to lead them to seek a move to north London.
The report also states that Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi will "almost certainly" be an option. Arsenal were said to have been eager to secure the forward's signature - whose goal against Manchester City handed them the title last season - before he suffered a pre-season injury.
Arteta 'unhappy' with failed transfer
Morgan Rogers during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Chelsea FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea completed the £117m transfer of Morgan Rogers this summer(Image: Robin Jones/Getty Images)
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Ian Wright believes Arteta will harbour frustrations over how the transfer window played out. The Arsenal legend pointed to the Gunners' inability to secure a high-profile forward as the primary reason, specifically highlighting Morgan Rogers' eventual move to Chelsea as a source of huge disappointment.
Wright said on the Stick to Football podcast: "It's not a disastrous window but if I'm Mikel, I wouldn't be happy with how this window has gone simply because we've gone another window where we have not got that forward.
"Mikel has talked about getting players to take us to that level, he did it again after Paris (Champions League final), where we didn't have that player to break them. That is the player Mikel wanted. They chased Vini until the end of the earth and left Morgan Rogers dangling."
Gary Neville argued on the podcast that Arsenal had no need for Rogers, but Wright maintained that Arteta would have viewed him as a crucial part of his plans. The former striker went on to say: "I think we did need Rogers.
"You say we have got those types of players but that is what Mikel wanted. It is a position where we need that player. Of course Saka is back, Odegaard is back, Havertz is back and playing together, but he wanted that difference-maker. He [Rogers] is the one we were linked with ages ago and he would have loved to have come, I can feel it."
Rogers had been widely tipped as Arteta's primary attacking target heading into the summer window. However, despite agreeing personal terms with the former Aston Villa midfielder, Arsenal bided their time - and the market, particularly Elliot Anderson's switch to Manchester City, enabled Villa to demand a significantly higher fee. The Gunners were unwilling to match Rogers' revised valuation and he completed a £117m move to rivals Chelsea.