Arsenal secured their first Premier League title in over two decades last season and are wasting no time in building a squad capable of retaining it.
The Gunners completed the £75m signing of midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United in the early hours of Saturday morning, a major statement of intent.
Sporting director Andrea Berta has handed manager Mikel Arteta one of his primary targets, with Guimaraes joining Illan Meslier and winger Christos Tzolis through the Emirates doors.
Arteta’s side had been heavily linked with Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr, but the 26-year-old elected to sign a new six-year contract with the Spanish giants instead.
Missing out on Vinicius is unquestionably a bitter blow for Arsenal, who had identified the Brazilian as one of their top attacking targets throughout this transfer window.
However, his rejection could prove to be a significant motivator for existing Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli, who heads into the new campaign desperate to prove himself.
The 25-year-old had a disappointing 2025/26 campaign, scoring just one Premier League goal across the season after previously registering 15 in the 2022/23 campaign alone.
Martinelli’s best season saw him finish as the club’s joint top scorer, and a return to that kind of form would make him just as valuable as any external attacking reinforcement.
Despite missing out on Vinicius, Arsenal have not abandoned their pursuit of attacking reinforcements, with PSG star Bradley Barcola also on their radar at a reported £128m valuation.
With Barcola’s price tag proving steep, Arsenal have reportedly turned their attention toward another Real Madrid attacker in the form of 20-year-old Endrick.
TEAMtalk has reported that talks have been held with Endrick’s representatives over the possibility of a summer move to the Premier League, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur also in contact.
Real Madrid are said to only want to sanction a loan move for the youngster, though previous reports suggest he could be available for around £43m.
Endrick spent the second half of last season on loan at French side Lyon, where he made 16 appearances in Ligue 1 and registered 12 combined goals and assists.
That return represented the third highest combined tally of any player in Paulo Fonseca’s squad, underlining the enormous potential the young Brazilian carries going forward.
He also averaged 2.7 successful dribbles per 90 minutes at Lyon, showcasing a directness and technical ability that immediately draws comparisons to his compatriot Vinicius.
Endrick also averaged 2.2 chances created per 90 minutes during his loan spell, a figure that ranked him above 97 percent of attackers across Europe’s top competitions.
His performances during the loan spell earned widespread recognition, with talent scout Jacek Kulig going as far as labelling the young forward as “world-class.”
Like Vinicius before him, Endrick made the move to Madrid from his hometown club in Brazil, with Vinicius completing a similar switch back in 2018.
The parallels between the two Brazilians are clear, and Arsenal will be hoping Endrick can follow a comparable trajectory should a deal be struck this summer.
At just 20 years old, Endrick remains very much a project, but one who already possesses the attacking tools that could give Arteta exactly the firepower he has been seeking.