The Evolution of Arsenal’s Squad: From Wenger’s Legacy to Arteta’s Vision
The current state of the Arsenal squad—young, dynamic, and ambitious—is not the result of a single transfer window but a multi-year project to dismantle and rebuild a team that had lost its identity. To fully appreciate Mikel Arteta’s work, it is essential to look back at the squads he inherited and the challenges faced by his predecessors, Arsène Wenger and Unai Emery.
The End of an Era: The Arsène Wenger Squad (2017-2018)
By the time Arsène Wenger departed in 2018, the squad he had built was a reflection of his later years: technically gifted but tactically porous. It was a team defined by its attacking flair but plagued by defensive fragility and a perceived lack of intensity.
Key Players: The squad featured a mix of club veterans and recent big-money signings. Long-serving players like Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal, and Mesut Özil were central, alongside expensive acquisitions like Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who arrived to provide firepower.
The Culture: The team lacked the tactical structure and defensive discipline of the Premier League’s top clubs. Critics, including former players, often described matches as feeling like “testimonials” with little regard for the defensive side of the game.
Squad Composition: It was an inherited blend of players with different physical and mental profiles. While a new attacking core was in place, the defence remained a long-standing weakness, and a general lack of steel in midfield was a persistent issue.
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The Interregnum: Unai Emery’s Transitional Period (2018-2019)
Unai Emery was brought in to provide the tactical structure and intensity that the team lacked. His time in charge was a crucial, albeit tumultuous, transitional phase.
Key Signings: Emery immediately targeted players to address the squad’s weaknesses. Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi were brought in to add bite and energy to the midfield, while Bernd Leno provided a goalkeeper more suited to playing out from the back.
The Challenges: Emery struggled with his inherited squad. He had a challenging time managing the “big egos” of the dressing room, most notably Mesut Özil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The squad was described as a “Hodge-Podge,” a mix of players from different eras with differing attitudes and expectations. Emery’s attempts to implement his ideas were often undermined by these internal issues, leading to a disconnect between the manager and the players.
The Rebuild: Mikel Arteta’s Strategic Overhaul
When Mikel Arteta took over, he inherited a team in disarray. His project was not just about transfers but about a complete cultural reset. His focus has been on three key pillars: clearing out players who don’t fit the vision, integrating youth, and making targeted, high-profile signings.
A Statement of Intent: The Arrival of Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Jesus’s arrival in the summer of 2022 was arguably the most significant moment in Arsenal’s rebuild. His transfer was more than a simple player acquisition; it was a statement of ambition and a catalyst for a new winning mentality.
A New Mindset: Jesus brought with him the experience of a winning environment at Manchester City. He introduced a new level of professionalism, intensity, and relentless pressing that became a hallmark of Arteta’s team. His hunger for success was contagious, lifting the standards of the entire squad.
Transforming the Attack: Jesus’s movement and link-up play transformed Arsenal’s attack. He didn’t just score goals; he created space for others, particularly young attackers like Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, who thrived alongside him. His versatility and work rate unlocked a new tactical dimension for the team.
Symbolic Importance: The signing of a key player from a direct title rival signalled that Arsenal was no longer content with being a top-four club. It demonstrated that Arteta could attract elite players who wanted to be part of his project, a crucial turning point in the club’s transfer market power.
The Masterminds Behind the Rebuild: From Edu to Andrea Berta
To fully grasp the squad’s evolution, it’s essential to look at the shifts in Arsenal’s front office. The transfer philosophy has changed from an emphasis on character and long-term projects to a more pragmatic, data-driven approach.
Edu’s Legacy: As Technical Director, Edu Gaspar was instrumental in the early stages of the rebuild. He focused on acquiring young, high-character players with immense potential, such as Martinelli, Saliba, and Odegaard. His signings were about more than just talent; they were about finding players who fit the cultural and mental profile Arteta wanted.
The Berta Era: The recent appointment of Andrea Berta as Sporting Director signals a new phase. Known for his “pure business” approach and success at Atlético Madrid, Berta is a master of data-informed scouting and disciplined negotiations. His arrival explains the recent, swift, and effective summer signings. This change at the top reflects a move from building the foundations of a squad to fine-tuning it with a laser focus on immediate tactical needs and financial efficiency, with the clear goal of winning a trophy.
The Tactical Evolution: Players as Pieces of a Puzzle
Every player acquisition and departure has a tactical purpose. Arteta’s system, a form of “positional play,” relies on fluid movement, numerical superiority, and players who can perform multiple roles.
The “Inverted Full-back”: The arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko was a game-changer, as his inverted full-back role allowed Arsenal to dominate the midfield and control possession in a way they hadn’t before. However, the system’s over-reliance on him led to a vulnerability that Arteta has since addressed with new player profiles.
Breaking the Low Block: The potential arrival of Eberechi Eze is a prime example of a signing to fix a specific tactical weakness. While Arteta’s system is excellent at controlling games, it has sometimes struggled to break down deep-lying, organised defences. Eze’s individual brilliance, creativity, and dribbling ability provide a new, unpredictable weapon to unlock stubborn opponents.
The Outgoings and Youth Revolution
Arteta has been ruthless in his quest for a cohesive squad, which has meant difficult decisions about established players while simultaneously nurturing the club’s prodigious academy talent.
Fringe Players: Players like Fábio Vieira and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who were once central to the project, are now on the fringes due to a combination of performance and the arrival of new talent. Their potential departures would not only free up wages but also signal a finality to the rebuild, leaving a more streamlined, focused squad.
Academy Graduates: Players like Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly represent the club’s long-term vision. Nwaneri, in particular, has signed a long-term contract, a testament to his talent and the club’s commitment to developing its own stars. This dual approach of ruthless player management and strategic youth integration is key to Arsenal’s sustained success.
The Rise of a Generational Talent: Max Dowman Beyond Nwaneri, the most electrifying prospect to emerge from Hale End is Max Dowman. A left-footed attacking midfielder, Dowman is widely considered a generational talent. At just 15 years old, he has already shattered academy records, becoming the youngest player to debut for the U18s and the youngest-ever goalscorer in the UEFA Youth League. His performances in pre-season friendlies have drawn praise from senior teammates like Declan Rice and from Mikel Arteta himself, who has spoken of Dowman’s “unusual” maturity and talent. The excitement around Dowman is not just about a single player; it is about the potential to build a future core around a trifecta of homegrown talents—Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly, and Dowman—who could form the spine of the team for the next decade.
The Final Polish: Fine-Tuning a Title-Winning Squad
The current summer transfer window is not about reconstruction but about optimisation. The signings are targeted, and the contracts are strategic.
Leandro Trossard’s Contract: The contract “adjustment” for Trossard is a prime example. The club rewarded his consistent performances with a pay raise without extending his deal, securing his value as a reliable, versatile squad player for the short to medium term.
The New Guard: The acquisitions of Viktor Gyokeres and the pursuit of Eberechi Eze signify the final stages of the rebuild. These are not “project players” but established, top-tier talents brought in to solve the final pieces of the puzzle and provide the game-changing moments needed to win major trophies.
Conclusion
Mikel Arteta has systematically dismantled the fractured squad he inherited and rebuilt it in his own image, a process that has been far more comprehensive than a simple change of personnel. By prioritising a specific cultural and tactical identity, he has created a young, hungry, and talented squad. The difficult decisions about player exits, the strategic investment in youth, and the targeting of specific high-profile players all point to a club no longer just hoping to compete but actively building a team to win. With the squad now reflecting his vision, the question remains whether this new era will deliver the ultimate prize.