After finishing another season empty-handed, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is looking to make a splash in the transfer market but if he lands the players he wants, he'll be left with nowhere to hide next season
Michael Ham
19:30, 31 May 2025
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is looking to strengthen his squad(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
William Gallas says Mikel Arteta will come under even more pressure to prove his managerial credentials next season if Arsenal bring in the players he wants in the transfer window.
Arteta’s side finished a distant second to Liverpool in the Premier League and fell to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semis as they ended another season without silverware. And it looks like it could be a busy summer at The Emirates as the Gunners tinker with their squad once again.
They are close to announcing their first signing of the transfer window in the shape of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi for £51million. But it is up front where the major investment is expected after injuries hampered their 2024-25 campaign. Arsenal and Arteta have made signing a new No.9 their top priority, with Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko on the radar, as well as Alexander Isak from Newcastle.
And while Gallas accepts that investment is needed, he believes if a new striker comes in, Arteta will have nowhere to hide next season. He said: “Mikel Arteta knows that the next step is a clear objective, which is to win the Premier League. To lift a major trophy.
"The next step is to get his squad ready for that. He needs to have the right players to do that. Right now, he has some of the right ones, of course, but they’re still missing something and everyone knows they are coming up short.
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal players applaud the fans after Champions League KO
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal players applaud the fans after Champions League KO
“So maybe now, finally, they’re going to do what has to be done and spend big on a proven striker. They’re going to need to get a reliable and prolific scorer and then the pressure shifts back on to Arteta.
“We’ll find out if he has the ability to manage a squad with a player like that, because things weren’t perfect last year. Okay, they’re second in the Premier League but when you look at some of the statistics, they had a bad season. Nobody should be arguing otherwise.
"In the Champions League, they got close, but they still lost to Paris Saint-Germain. And I think after January, the club started putting all their eggs into the Champions League and maybe that was a mistake.
"They didn’t put pressure on Liverpool even when it was still possible to catch them. What’s even more frustrating is that when you saw how they played against Real Madrid, they were obviously capable of beating any side in the Premier League.
Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres
Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres is a target for Arsenal(Image: Getty Images)
“They had a chance of even winning the league if things went their way, but they gambled on the Champions League and still ended up with nothing.”
Gallas, who played at Arsenal for four years, says player recruitment must be spot on if that is going to change.
Speaking to Prime Casino, he added: “Get the right players in, get the right signings done. If you’ve got the people who can do that job properly, it’ll make a difference.
“The club needs to be sure of bringing in the right people for the team. For me, Arsenal don’t need loads of players but they do need to make sure they’re the right ones. They need a central defender, a winger, and a striker. I think a lot of people agree with that assessment.”
Article continues below
William Gallas was speaking on behalf of Prime Casino. Read his full interview here.