Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Arsenal remain keen to add further talent to their roster, even though the pool of available players capable of elevating the club to the next tier is relatively limited. The Gunners recently experienced disappointment when their pursuit of Vinícius Júnior fell through – the Brazilian forward opted to extend his contract with Real Madrid – and they also missed out on another high-profile target, Morgan Rogers, who ultimately completed a move to Chelsea from Aston Villa earlier this summer. In spite of those setbacks, Arsenal secured the £75 million acquisition of Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimarães on Saturday. Guimarães made his first appearance for the club on Wednesday, coming on in a friendly against Como at the Emirates Stadium.
While his debut was a positive sign, Arteta stressed that the club’s quest for additional attacking firepower is far from over. "There is more that we want to do because every time we have an opportunity to improve the squad and bring more quality and depth to the squad, we need to do that," Arteta explained. "We are actively trying to do so.
The thing in the market is that it doesn't just depend on you. We are very clear on that. But the approach, the will and the desire of the club, that's unquestionable. We want to try to do that.
However, we cannot promise that we're going to do it because it doesn't only depend on us." The Premier League champions have identified Atletico Madrid's Julian Álvarez and Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola as potential targets, indicating that their hunt for a marquee attacker will likely extend deep into the transfer window. Arteta acknowledged the difficulty of finding players who can make a tangible difference: "I think for the margins to improve, there are very few players in the market that are available to do that and bring that to the club.
But again, we are actively looking to improve that and we're going to try." When questioned about whether such high‑profile signings could disrupt Arsenal's wage structure, Arteta deferred to sporting director Andrea Berta and the board, saying, "I'll leave that question to [sporting director] Andrea [Berta] and the board. My job is more to focus on getting the best out of the players that we have, to create that connection between them and to make every player feel important, regardless of the wages." Guimarães' debut against Como was a highlight for the manager. The midfielder entered at halftime, only four days after arriving from Newcastle, and impressed enough to be considered for a starting role in the upcoming Community Shield clash with Manchester City.
"Let's see," Arteta said. "He only had three training sessions, but he looked good. He was really pushing to play some minutes.
I think he wanted to get his debut and the feeling of playing in front of our fans immediately. And you sense immediately, I believe, a strong connection at play that is going to make us better." The arrival of Guimarães has also sparked speculation about the future of young midfielder Myles Lewis‑Skelly.
Chelsea have reportedly made an enquiry, and Manchester United remain a long‑term interest. Despite the rumors, Lewis‑Skelly celebrated his goal against Como with a heartfelt gesture, hugging his hands together toward the home crowd. Arteta praised his emotional response: "It's good to score a goal, you should be emotional when you score a goal.
He's a very emotional player. I remember when he did all the gestures on the pitch [last season]. I'm not going to talk about any speculation.
If there is speculation about our player, it's a good sign. That means that we attract attention and they're doing a good job." Arteta also highlighted Lewis‑Skelly's versatility during pre‑season, noting that the 19‑year‑old was deployed in a deeper midfield role to compensate for the shortage of central midfielders due to international duties. "I think he had a really good pre‑season. I think we asked him to play in a different position, because he played more as a six, because we lacked central midfielders, obviously with international duties, and I think he had a really consistent pre‑season." Overall, Arsenal's transfer strategy this summer reflects a blend of ambition and realism.
While the club is eager to add quality and depth, Arteta repeatedly emphasized that the market dynamics are beyond their sole control. The manager's focus remains on maximizing the potential of the current squad, fostering strong relationships among players, and ensuring that every individual feels valued, irrespective of contractual terms.
As the window progresses, fans can expect continued monitoring of potential targets, strategic negotiations, and perhaps further surprises as Arsenal strive to build a squad capable of challenging for top honours both domestically and in Europe.