Julian Alvarez will not be joining Arsenal this summer. The Argentine forward has decided to stay at Atletico Madrid, joining the list of high‑profile players—Morgan Rogers and Vinícius Júnior—who also opted against a move to the Premier League champions. As a result, manager Mikel Arteta has missed out on the striker he had been targeting.
After a protracted transfer saga that saw Alvarez attempt to engineer a switch to Barcelona, the deal ultimately fell through, and the player chose to remain with Atletico. Arsenal’s attempts to lure him back to England proved fruitless, leaving the Gunners without the attacking reinforcement they had hoped for. Following Arsenal’s loss to Paris Saint‑Germain in the Champions League final, Arteta publicly urged his club to be "ambitious" and "swift" in the market.
Whether the North London side has lived up to those aspirations remains a matter of debate. The summer began with Morgan Rogers as Arsenal’s primary forward target. Chelsea outbid them with a £117 million offer, which the Gunners deemed excessive.
The club then turned its attention to Vinícius Júnior, but the Real Madrid star elected to stay in Spain. The Alvarez saga dragged on until the final day of the transfer window, but the Argentine never displayed a genuine desire to join the Premier League. In the end, the only forward added to Arsenal’s roster was Greek winger Christos Tzolis.
Despite a largely underwhelming window for the attacking line, Arsenal also permitted several key attackers to depart: Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus all left the club, and promising teenager Ethan Nwaneri was loaned to Borussia Dortmund. In effect, four forwards exited while only one arrived. This raises the question of whether Arsenal have jeopardised their upcoming season by thinning both the quality and quantity of their attacking options. The left‑wing position is now a particular concern.
With Tzolis as the sole recognised specialist in that role until at least January, Arsenal will have to rely on the versatility of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke. Both players are expected to provide cover for midfield talisman Martin Ødegaard and winger Bukayo Saka, in addition to filling the left‑wing slot.
Eze demonstrated his ability to operate on the flank after coming off the bench against Aston Villa, but neither he nor Tzolis possess the blistering pace and one‑on‑one creativity that Arteta traditionally favours. They are not the type of players who regularly make runs behind the defence in the manner that Martinelli once did. Can Tzolis shoulder the left‑wing responsibilities for the bulk of the campaign? Those familiar with his character note his impressive recovery rate – he can play a match, rest for three days and be ready again.
Last season at Club Brugge he logged just under 4,400 minutes, roughly 900 minutes fewer than the combined total of Martinelli and Trossard for Arsenal in the previous campaign. To match that output, Tzolis would need to feature in about ten more games this season, a workload that could test his stamina. The centre‑forward area is equally problematic. With Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokerés sharing duties up front and the departure of Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal are effectively one striker short compared with the previous season.
Earlier this summer, Arteta admitted that the Premier League title had slipped away in November when the Gunners were left with only Mikel Merino as a genuine striker – Merino can fill in, but he is not a natural centre‑forward. The decision to weaken the central striking position seems puzzling, especially given that Jesus featured sparingly in 2026. Arsenal have attempted to compensate by signing Bruno Guimarães for around £75 million.
The Brazilian midfielder, who impressed with his ability to break down opposition defences last season and made a memorable debut against Aston Villa, adds a new dimension to the attack, but he does not directly replace a pure forward. Another potential solution lies in the emergence of 16‑year‑old Max Dowman. The youngster is expected to assume a larger role this term, potentially covering the right wing and the number‑10 role while Madueke and Eze are deployed elsewhere.
Dowman's development could provide the squad with the flexibility it currently lacks. Depth remains a hallmark of Arsenal’s roster. The club boasts at least two players for every position, with some areas featuring three options.
Over the summer, Arsenal overhauled their medical department, aiming to improve the availability of key figures such as Saka and Ødegaard. Better injury management could translate into a more reliable forward line. The defensive side of the squad also saw reinforcement after William Saliba’s long‑term injury forced the club to sign centre‑back Ezri Konsa. With Jurrien Timber and Ben White still prone to injury concerns – White, for instance, struggled against Villa on Monday – the additional right‑back cover is valuable.
Arsenal now possess a robust backup defensive unit comprising White, Konsa, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié, a depth that many Premier League rivals would consider a first‑choice backline. Meanwhile, rivals Manchester City have made headline‑grabbing signings, bolstering their midfield with Elliot Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Enzo Fernández.
Chelsea, too, have addressed several weak spots, strengthening their goalkeeper position, defence and overall experience. Both City and Chelsea appear well‑equipped to challenge Arsenal for the title, while the Gunners may feel a sense of disappointment regarding their attacking acquisitions. The true impact of these transfer decisions will become evident early in the season, particularly when Arsenal face Chelsea in the upcoming Premier League clash on Sunday at 4.30 pm. The match will serve as an early litmus test for whether the gap between Arsenal and their rivals has narrowed, and whether the club’s reduced attacking options will prove a liability or a catalyst for tactical innovation.