Mikel Arteta confirmed that Arsenal are still actively pursuing additional signings during this summer’s transfer window, but he also acknowledged that the pool of players capable of elevating the club to the next tier is relatively limited. The Gunners recently experienced disappointment when their bid for Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior fell through after the Brazilian chose to extend his contract with the Spanish giants, and they also missed out on another high‑profile target, Morgan Rogers, who opted to join Chelsea after leaving Aston Villa earlier in the season.
Despite those setbacks, Arsenal completed a significant acquisition on Saturday, securing Brazil international Bruno Guimarães for a reported £75 million. Guimarães made his first appearance for the club on Wednesday in a friendly against Como at the Emirates Stadium, coming on at half‑time and immediately showing why the club invested heavily in him.
Nevertheless, Arteta made it clear that the search for further 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 a few specific names that could make a decisive impact.
Among them are Atletico Madrid’s Julian Álvarez and Paris Saint‑Germain’s Bradley Barcola, both of whom would add a different dimension to Arsenal’s attack. Yet, given the competitive nature of the market and the limited number of top‑level forwards available, the club expects its pursuit of a marquee signing to extend well into the later stages of the window.
Arteta also addressed concerns about how such high‑profile purchases might affect Arsenal’s wage structure. He deferred the financial details to sporting director Andrea Berta and the board, emphasizing that his primary responsibility is to maximise the performance of the players already at his disposal. "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," he said. The manager expressed satisfaction with Guimarães' debut against Como.
The midfielder, who arrived from Newcastle just four days earlier, impressed as a half‑time substitute and could be in contention for a start in the upcoming Community Shield clash with Manchester City. "Let's see," Arteta added. "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." While Arsenal continue to chase new talent, the arrival of Guimarães has already sparked speculation about the future of younger squad members. Myles Lewis‑Skelly, a 19‑year‑old who has attracted interest from Chelsea and long‑term attention from Manchester United, was linked with a possible departure following the Brazilian’s signing.
Nevertheless, Lewis‑Skelly demonstrated his own value by scoring Arsenal’s only goal in the friendly against Como, celebrating with a heartfelt gesture towards the home crowd. Arteta praised the youngster’s emotional response, noting, "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 we attract attention and they're doing a good job." Arteta also highlighted Lewis‑Skelly's versatility during pre‑season, mentioning that the manager experimented with deploying him in a deeper midfield role to cover for the absence of senior central midfielders on international duty. "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," Arteta explained. In summary, Arsenal’s transfer strategy this summer is characterised by a clear intent to strengthen the squad, tempered by the reality that the elite talent pool is shallow.
The club’s leadership remains committed to pursuing quality additions, yet acknowledges that success in the market depends on factors beyond their control. Meanwhile, the integration of new signings like Bruno Guimarães and the continued development of promising youngsters such as Myles Lewis‑Skelly illustrate a balanced approach that blends immediate reinforcement with long‑term growth. The coming weeks will reveal whether Arsenal can secure the additional firepower they desire and how those moves will shape their campaign in the upcoming season.