Arsenal head into a crucial summer transfer window as Mikel Arteta looks to right the wrongs of this season
Victor Gokeres has had a disappointing season this season (Image: Stuart MacFarlane, Arsenal FC, via Getty Images)
Arsenal have reached a crucial point in the season that will determine whether their hard work over the past eight months will pay off. Mikel Arteta’s Gunners had enjoyed a perfect season until late March, sitting top of the Premier League, winning every Champions League game and aiming to qualify for the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
However, Arsenal’s hopes of winning a historic quadruple title have crumbled in the past month as they have lost four of their last six games. These include defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final, a shock defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup, and back-to-back Premier League defeats that gave City the upper hand in the title race.
While there have undoubtedly been positives this season, particularly across the back five, recent results show that sporting director Andrea Berta has considerable work to do this summer to strengthen the squad and ensure the Gunners can challenge again on all four fronts next season.
Here, Mirror Football takes a look at our dream Arsenal team for the 2026/27 season, and whether securing a top transfer target and finding a Deadwood buyer can elevate the squad.
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goalkeeper
In terms of goals, David Raya has cemented his place not only as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League, but also throughout Europe. The Spaniard was unusually nervous with the ball at his feet, but produced a near-flawless performance and is set to win the Premier League’s Golden Glove for the third year in a row.
The future of the number two role is less clear. Kepa Arrizabalaga arrived last summer and was selected by Arteta in the domestic cup. However, the Spaniard is believed to want more game time than a typical reserve goalkeeper, which could lead to Arsenal parting ways with him in the next transfer window.
Given Kepa’s failure in the Carabao Cup final, it wouldn’t necessarily be a disaster as Diant Ramazi is being looked at as a possible replacement. The German is currently on loan at Heidenheim from Borussia Dortmund, and Arsenal are said to be monitoring the 24-year-old Bundesliga goalkeeper. He would offer a solid combination of experience and youth, but 20-year-old Tommy Thetford will remain Arsenal’s third-choice replacement.
defender
Ben White should go on sale this summer (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Arsenal’s solid defense has been a major factor in the team’s success this season. The first-choice back four of Julian Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Riccardo Calafioli should retain their place in the starting XI next season, given the impressive combination of defensive resilience and attacking threat they bring.
At left-back, Piero Hincapie served as an excellent substitute for the often injured Calafioli, while Cristian Mosquera fit in effortlessly past the defensive line whenever called upon in his debut season in north London. Marli Sermon has featured in a few games this term, and while the teenage talent is still in his infancy, he is expected to be given more playing time next season.
The only concern at the back is that multiple injury issues have cropped up at the same time, leaving Arteta with noticeable fatigue in the full-back area. Ben White has looked like the player he used to be before his recent career at Arsenal was disrupted by injury, and he has looked noticeably off-pace since his return. Berta would be wise to take advantage of a reasonable fee to sign White this summer, with Everton reportedly interested in the England international.
Tino Libramento remains a long-standing target for Arsenal. The 23-year-old Newcastle defender is capable of playing at both left-back and right-back, something Arteta is known to value highly. Title rivals Manchester City are also eyeing his signature, which will further strengthen the Gunners’ determination to lure him to the Emirates Stadium.
midfielder
Arsenal should prioritize Sandro Tonali (Image: Getty Images)
Arsenal are lucky to have two of the country’s best options in the holding midfield role in Martin Zvimendi and Declan Rice. However, a recurring headache for the Gunners this season has been their lack of depth in that area.
Christian Norgaard, signed from Brentford last summer, is not trusted enough by Arteta to start in the Premier League this season. This left Mr. Zvimendi and Mr. Rice to shoulder the burden throughout the campaign, but it was at a huge disadvantage as both of them looked increasingly leggy in recent months.
Arsenal therefore urgently need to bring in a top quality central midfielder to share the workload without compromising quality. One such target is Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, who was linked with a surprise deadline day move to the Emirates Stadium in January.
The Italian’s contract with Newcastle runs until June 2028, with a transfer fee thought to be between £80 million and £100 million. Despite the hefty cost, the 25-year-old Tonali is at the peak of his ability and could prove invaluable should Rice go down with injury.
Norgaard should be moved on to give Myles Lewis-Skelly a clear path to the first team. With Arteta not considering the Hale End graduate as a left-back, the time has come for Lewis-Skelly to demonstrate his ability in his preferred position in lower-stakes cup competitions.
Further up the pitch, Arsenal already have a number of options at their disposal. Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze are the main creative force and should work together more regularly from now on.
Mikel Merino’s return from a broken leg will be a big step for the Gunners, who have been severely lacking in tactical and positional flexibility in recent months. The biggest change in this area should come from the return of Ethan Nwaneri after a disastrous loan spell at Marseille. Nwaneri is undoubtedly a gifted playmaker and, at just 19 years old, he has already shown that he can turn things around and be a natural successor to Odegaard.
Arsenal need a star striker like Julian Alvarez (Image: Getty)
forward
The right forward position is the safest position in Arsenal’s entire forward line. Bukayo Saka remains the clear first-choice winger on the right, despite a subpar and injury-plagued season by their lofty standards. Wonderkid Max Dorman’s brilliance means he could be Saka’s main backup next season, given Noni Maduke’s instability.
In contrast, Arsenal’s left flank remains a clear weakness, as it has been in recent seasons. Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard have frustrated fans all season, and Berta should make signing their replacements a priority this summer. With that in mind, at least one of the pair should be let go, with Trossard appearing to be the more likely candidate to leave given that he turns 32 later this year.
RB Leipzig’s Yann Diomande’s name keeps coming up. The 19-year-old Ivorian has lit up the Bundesliga this season, scoring 12 goals and providing seven assists. He can play on either flank, has good dribbling skills, has incredible speed and can find the net in a variety of ways. This is more than can be said for the aforementioned pair. Diomande has also attracted interest from the likes of PSG, Manchester United and Liverpool, but Arsenal remain one of the more attractive destinations for the teenager.
Up front, Gabriel Jesus should be the first player to leave this summer given his injury history. The Brazilian is no longer able to inject the same spark into the final third that he did when he first arrived in the N5.
Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard surpassed their best (Image: (John Walton/PA Wire))
In what would be a tough but necessary move, Bertha should consider selling Victor Gokeres, despite only signing the Swede in a £64m deal last summer. The fact that Gokeres has been Arsenal’s top scorer this season but remains underwhelming shows how limited his overall game is. Arsenal should just admit that this deal was a mistake and cut their losses, even if it means parting ways with him for a reduced fee of around £40 million.
In comparison, Kai Havertz has shown how much better he has become at spearheading an attack since returning from a lengthy injury. However, despite the German’s excellent all-round play, Arsenal still lack a truly world-class striker who can link play and score goals.
That player would be Atletico Madrid’s £100m-valued Julián Alvarez. The Argentine star has been on an impressive display since joining Atlético from City in August 2024, scoring 19 goals in all competitions this season. With interest from Barcelona and PSG, Arsenal will have to pay a hefty transfer fee to lure Alvarez to the Emirates, but his outstanding ability makes him one of the rare players who can truly take Arsenal to the next level.
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