3 Midfielders Arsenal Should Buy To Build A Dynasty This Summer
We have to take a look at the 3 Midfielders Arsenal should buy in the transfer window of 2026
Arsenal sit on the edge of something special right now. The Gunners currently lead the Premier League and need just two more wins to secure the title, but Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta already look ahead, because winning this title means nothing if the squad stagnates. The 3 midfielders Arsenal should buy in the transfer window are Mateus Fernandes, Elliot Anderson, and Sandro Tonali, and each one fills a specific, genuine gap that even a title-winning squad visibly carries.
Why Mateus Fernandes deserves a serious bid from Arsenal
Martin Zubimendi arrived last summer with enormous expectations, yet a significant portion of the fanbase believes he has simply not performed at the level the team required of him in the engine room. That context matters enormously when you consider Mateus Fernandes. The 21-year-old West Ham midfielder averages four times as many successful dribbles per game as Zubimendi and twice as many key passes, making him considerably more dynamic in an attacking sense.
He has scored four goals in 35 appearances since joining from Southampton and has recently broken into the senior Portugal national team, which tells its own story about his trajectory.
Arsenal need energy and forward intent from a midfielder who can press and carry simultaneously, and Fernandes delivers exactly that combination at just 21. A fee of around £38 million looks increasingly reasonable for a player at this stage of his development, and Arsenal should move quickly before Manchester United, who monitor him closely, make the first formal approach.
The case for Elliot Anderson as a long-term midfield cornerstone
Anderson now emerges as the most coveted midfielder expected to be on the market this summer, seen by many as the ideal number eight who also carries the ability to play as a number six or in a more advanced position. The 23-year-old has received a senior England international call-up this season, and his performances for Nottingham Forest have shown a consistency that grabs attention at the very top level.
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Manchester City currently sit in pole position to sign Anderson, which ought to alarm Arsenal fans considerably. If Arteta wins the title, the pull of the Emirates strengthens, but the club cannot afford to admire this situation from a distance.
Anderson slots perfectly alongside Declan Rice in a midfield built for domination, bringing exactly the progressive running and technical quality that Rice’s defensive anchor role demands as a complement. Arsenal should make a concrete bid and force City’s hand before the summer window even opens formally.
Sandro Tonali remains a risk worth taking despite the noise
Tonali established himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe during his time at Newcastle, and the transfer saga around his future grows louder by the week. Yes, the complications are real. Tonali reportedly prioritises a return to Serie A, and Manchester United pursue him aggressively.
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Yet Arsenal’s position, potentially crowned English champions and present in the Champions League, gives them a genuine platform to compete for his signature. The Newcastle technician operates effectively as both a number six and a number eight, which makes him extraordinarily versatile within Arteta’s system.
The fee will hurt. Newcastle could demand a figure comparable to what clubs paid for Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, but the depth of this quality at the highest level costs exactly this much. Arsenal know that better than anyone.
These 3 midfielders Arsenal should buy in the transfer window represent not just squad depth but a genuine statement of ambition; the kind of ambition that turns a title-winning team into a side that dominates English football for years.