Arsenal have finally reached the Premier League summit — but the next phase of Mikel Arteta’s tenure may prove even more revealing than the climb itself.
With a 22-year wait for the league title ended and European glory missed by the narrowest of margins in a penalty shootout, Arsenal’s standards have shifted dramatically. Simply recruiting solid players is no longer enough. So far this summer, their business has been limited to the £36million arrival of Christos Tzolis, the free-transfer signing of Illan Meslier and the permanent completion of Piero Hincapie’s loan move.
Arsenal are now operating in a transfer market occupied by only the game’s richest and most ambitious clubs. The goal is no longer just to add potential, cover or reliable squad options.
Yet if they do not accelerate their work over the final five weeks of the window, they could find themselves losing ground just as their Big Six rivals pour money into squads built to drag Arsenal down from their new position of power.
Chelsea have made a major statement with a £117m move for Morgan Rogers, a player long linked with Arsenal before his price climbed beyond their valuation. Tottenham, meanwhile, have committed £92.5m to Sandro Tonali, £85m to Mateus Fernandes and £52m to Jan Paul van Hecke, with a £60m pursuit of Savinho also on their agenda.
Arsenal have won the Premier League, but the next test could shape Mikel Arteta’s legacy
Christos Tzolis, signed from Club Bruges for £36m, remains Arsenal’s only new outfield arrival this summer
Manchester City have also flexed their financial muscle by spending £116m on Elliot Anderson, while Manchester United have reshaped their midfield with the signings of Andrey Santos for £50m and Youri Tielemans for £35m.
The coming weeks represent crunch time, and will go some way to revealing whether Arsenal truly are ready and willing to build the dynasty Arteta craves.
It will also test the proficiencies of Andrea Berta, who had a solid window last summer, signing eight players. But now the heat is on from an insatiable fanbase.
Arsenal’s ambitions, however, are not easy to realise. The feeling inside the club is that deals for star names take time, and have been complicated by a World Cup which has caused delays.
Insiders expect the coming weeks to be very busy regarding incomings.
Arsenal are pursuing Vinicius and closely monitoring the situation around his contract, which expires next June. Real Madrid are very keen to renew the Brazilian’s deal but nothing has been decided yet.
Daily Mail Sport understands Arsenal have a few high-profile left wingers on the list in case their pursuit of Vinicius fails. Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola was one, though he is closing in on a move to Liverpool.
Arsenal know they need to go big this summer, and have been looking into a deal for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior
Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is also on Arsenal’s list this summer
Arsenal have also looked at PSG left winger Bradley Barcola if they cannot sign Vinicius, but the Frenchman now appears destined for Liverpool
If Vinicius or a player of his ilk does join Arsenal, the club are presented with circumstances they’ve not quite navigated for some time.
Ever since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s ill-fated £350,000-a-week contract, signed after he led Arteta to his first trophy in the 2020 FA Cup final, Arsenal have been very careful with their players’ wages and signing ready-made superstars.
Arteta likes control, with the Aubameyang case study – he was stripped of the captaincy and booted out of the club halfway through the three-year contract after disciplinary issues – leaving the Spaniard wary of signing big-name players who could alter the team’s balance.
It is believed Vinicius is currently paid around £247,000 to £279,000 a week after tax. To earn that amount in the UK, the Gunners would need to pay him somewhere between £450,000 and £500,000 a week.
That would make him Arsenal’s highest-paid player by far and shatter the current wage structure. Bukayo Saka is Arsenal’s highest-paid player on £300,000 a week.
It could have ramifications in terms of other players demanding better deals. While the star power Vinicius brings is a further element to consider.
For all the complexities, Arsenal’s hierarchy are aware that ambition has to be matched by action. They are no longer trying to close the gap. They are ahead, and trying to stay there. That requires attracting players who already operate at the highest level and can immediately raise the team’s ceiling.
There is also an acceptance that opportunities to sign generational talents rarely come without risk. The financial commitment and the dressing room dynamics that follow all require careful consideration.
Yet whether Arsenal land the superstar signing they desire this summer may ultimately shape how this Arteta era is remembered.
Vinicius’ wages would be significantly higher than any other Arsenal player’s, and would risk causing disharmony in the squad
The last time Arsenal handed out a mega contract to a player it all ended in tears, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s deal ripped up 18 months in
Rather than chasing the established elite clubs, Arsenal are expected to behave like one. The coming weeks will reveal whether they are prepared to do that
Winning the league proved Arsenal could reach the summit, though staying there requires a different level of ruthlessness. The Gunners have won the English title 14 times but it has been more than 90 years since they retained it – winning three in a row from 1933-35.
It demands competing financially with Europe’s biggest clubs and convincing the world’s elite players that north London is the destination to be.
That is the challenge now facing Arteta, Berta and Arsenal’s hierarchy. Rather than chasing the established elite clubs, they are expected to behave like one. The coming weeks will reveal whether Arsenal are prepared to do that.
