Arsenal are the Premier League champions, yet Mikel Arteta remains hungry for more as the summer transfer window enters its most critical phase.
The Gunners spent years finishing second before finally claiming the title last season, proving that Arteta has built one of England’s most formidable squads in recent memory.
Despite that long-awaited triumph, Arsenal’s attacking output left room for improvement, with forwards failing to consistently fire across the full length of the campaign.
Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s most important creative force, managed only seven Premier League goals last season, hampered significantly by injury problems throughout the year.
His underlying numbers still reflected a player of enormous quality, but nobody at the Emirates would argue that the 24-year-old performed to his maximum potential last season.
At the World Cup, Saka started just three times, including the third-place play-off against France, where he bagged a hat-trick and reminded Thomas Tuchel what had been missed through his injury absence.
Viktor Gyokeres finished as the club’s top scorer with 14 Premier League goals, though questions remain about his ability to provide nuance and connectivity when Arsenal build from deeper positions.
With Leandro Trossard gone and Gabriel Martinelli scoring just once in the Premier League last season, Arteta and technical director Andrea Berta are clearly prioritising a marquee attacking addition this summer.
According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal have identified Bradley Barcola and Nico Williams as prime targets after moving on from their pursuit of Vinicius Junior, with Liverpool also chasing Barcola.
Barcola is valued at £145m this summer, though both Arsenal and Liverpool would expect some negotiation to bring that figure down before any deal is finalised.
Described as “one of the best left wingers in Europe” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, Barcola has scored 34 goals across two seasons in all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain.
Luis Enrique notably benched Barcola during PSG’s Champions League final triumphs, which has contributed to the Frenchman rejecting a contract extension at Parc des Princes.
Barcola’s directness and relentless dribbling ability would complement Saka’s more technical, creative approach, giving Arsenal an attacking unit that opponents would find extremely difficult to read.
That contrast in styles could prove to be exactly what Arteta needs to keep his side unpredictable and devastatingly effective across a full Premier League and European campaign.
Christos Tzolis and the anticipated £75m arrival of Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes are already adding fresh dimensions to Arsenal’s squad this summer ahead of the new season.
If Barcola arrives to complete the attacking picture, Arteta will have the depth and firepower required to mount a genuine title defence and challenge seriously in Europe.