Arsenal Identified Over Twenty Targets Aiming to Build on Premier League Triumph

By Sami Mokbel, Senior football correspondent

Going into the summer transfer window as Premier League champions, Arsenal felt hope that they could capitalise on the moment. A sense at Emirates Stadium suggested their rivals were in transition because of managerial instability, presenting an opportunity to strike in recruitment. The club’s plans were ambitious, with a shortlist that included more than twenty players. Targets were drawn from Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Tottenham.

When the window closed on Tuesday night, a feeling of unfulfilment lingered, especially among a section of supporters. Arsenal’s close season brought some undeniable successes but also difficulties and frustration. Ahead of their home match against Chelsea on Sunday, BBC Sport outlined the club’s transfer activity and assessed whether manager Mikel Arteta, sporting director Andrea Berta and owners Kroenke Sports Entertainment could judge the summer operation a success.

Why Guimaraes was chosen over Anderson, Tonali or Scott

Bruno Guimaraes’s £75 million move from Newcastle United stood out as Arsenal’s most eye‑catching signing. Before the summer, the club had been monitoring Guimaraes’s situation at Newcastle, although other names were initially viewed as higher priorities. Interest in England international Elliot Anderson was widely reported, but it was clear he was destined for Manchester City. Guimaraes’s former Newcastle teammate Sandro Tonali and Bournemouth’s Alex Scott were also explored as midfield options before the focus shifted to the South American.

At 26 and 23 years old respectively, Tonali and Scott are younger than Guimaraes, who will turn 29 in November. However, factors such as availability and price complicated potential deals – Tonali eventually joined Tottenham for a minimum £92 million. Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana was another name on the list, but the Belgium international suffered a serious knee injury at the World Cup.

By mid‑June, Guimaraes, who enjoyed universal backing inside the Emirates, emerged as the club’s primary focus. Berta’s familiarity with the player’s camp and Arteta’s desire for proven talent to elevate the starting XI rather than the wider squad made the pursuit logical. Berta used his strong relationship with Guimaraes’s representatives to push the transfer forward, which explains why Newcastle insisted there had been no direct contact from London until days before the deal