What's Next For Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal? 

Had we known before the 2024-25 season kicked off that Manchester City would lose their grip on the Premier League crown, even the saltiest rival fan would have backed the Gunners to be the team that ends City’s dominance in the top flight. 

However, poor transfer dealings, injuries, indiscipline, and the lack of an X-Factor up front resulted in another trophyless campaign for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal. 

In this article, we look back at the 2024/25 season, the squad, the manager and the technical staff, Arsenal’s summer war chest and expectations for the 2025/26 season. 

Another Season Of Missed Opportunities 

Apparently, it was after the second international break where the horror show started for Arsenal, who went on a four-game winless run between October 19 and November 10 while Liverpool continued to conquer every foe in their path, although they kept Slot’s men honest by going 14 top-flight games unbeaten over the winter.

While the loss of Bukayo Saka midway thru the season was a tough one to swallow, the Gunners coped relatively well in his absence, but their failures in the January transfer window – not adding a new striker to their ranks to cover the absences of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz – ultimately caught up to them.

However, Arteta’s men were also losing leads, dropping points and drawing games at will, and managing just three wins from 11 in the Premier League between February 22 and May 11 allowed Liverpool to run away with the title without breaking too much of a sweat.

While Arsenal went backwards domestically, they took a giant leap forwards continentally – in Champions League – serving Real Madrid a huge slice of humble pie and reaching the semi-finals for just the third time in their history, before losing to a cohesive Paris Saint-Germain side.

Arteta’s side were also subjected to final-four heartbreak in the EFL Cup at the hands of eventual champions Newcastle United, but in what has been a regular theme since their last FA Cup triumph in 2020, their run in that competition was over before it even began as Manchester United prevailed on penalties in the third round at the Emirates.

Analysing The Current Squad 

It is safe to say that the current squad lacks depth in various key positions, and with at least four players leaving the club at the end of the season, the Gunners need a revamp with both marquee and squad-players coming in.  

Like his mentor Pep Guardiola, Arteta also likes to keep his squad small with every player playing his role instead of a bloated and unhappy squad, however, lack of signings last season coupled with injuries to key players throughout the season meant Arsenal were always playing catch up. 

On-loan second goalkeeper Neto from AFC Bournemouth was a real step down from Golden Glove winner David Raya and a result Arteta very rarely trusted his #2. Thus, heading into the next season, signing an able deputy to Raya is a priority alongside all the other key positions. 

In the defence, only Jakub Kiwior was able to keep himself fit throughout the season, every other Arsenal defender has missed a game at some point due to injury. Although their defensive record might suggest otherwise, Arsenal have struggled with injuries to too many key defenders. The likes of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White and Riccardo Califiori have hardly made any impact this season with them sitting on the sidelines for most parts.

That being said, these injuries allowed someone like Myles Lewis-Skelly to break into the playing XI as a left-back – despite playing most of his youth career as a central midfielder – and owning the position and coming out of this campaign as one of the brightest prospects in Europe. 

In the midfield, Martin Zubimendi will join the club at the start of next season and will immediately slot into the #6 position with Arsenal also working hard behind the scenes to tie down Thomas Partey to a short-term contract at the very least. 

Arsenal can and will use Declan Rice in the #6 position as well thus there’s enough depth in that position. However, it is the #8 positions where Arsenal fall on the lighter side. Jorginho will be leaving the club at the end of his contract this summer, leaving only Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard as the only #8s. Youngster Ethan Nwaneri has shown that he’s capable of putting in a shift in Martin Odegaard’s role, however, they are still short on numbers and need at least one more creative outlet this summer. 

The forward line only gets worse. In an ideal world, Arsenal would need reinforcements for every single position in the forward line. It has been well documented that Arsenal are in desperate need of a clinical striker. They took a chance with a late Ollie Watkins bid in the January window, however, after that failed bid, Arteta resorted to moulding a midfielder into a striker instead. 

In the wings, Arsenal are still looking for a back-up to Bukayo Saka and if they think Ethan Nwaneri is the answer, then they need to add more depth in midfield. In the left wing, there are question marks over Leandro Trossard’s ability to consistently challenge Gabriel Martinelli and if a bid comes, Arsenal should cash in and look to bring in someone who’ll give Martinelli a run for his money. 

Kai Havertz despite not being a prolific goalscorer has had a positive impact up front for Arsenal since joining the club and was one of their better players before he got injured in their Dubai training camp. However, Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus has been a real left down. Apart from his first season at the Emirates, Jesus has mostly spent his time in the medical room. Given his injury, it is highly unlikely that he’ll be moved on this summer. Thus, signing a striker is the number one priority this summer. 

A Visible Change In Arteta’s Approach 

Since taking the reins in 2019, Mikel Arteta has orchestrated a complete tactical transformation at Arsenal. What began as a team rebuilding phase quickly evolved into one of the most tactically versatile outfits in European football. 

In the 2024/25 season, Arsenal have solidified their identity by refining key tactical elements to seamlessly transition between phases of play. From the strategic adaptation of formations to set-piece brilliance and pressing mechanisms, the Gunners have taken dynamic football to the next level under Arteta’s stewardship.

The flexible 4-3-3 structure grants Arsenal the freedom to morph their shape mid-game without disrupting the tactical balance. This versatility allows defenders to push forward during buildup while midfielders drop deeper or position themselves between the lines. 

This transformation enables the Gunners to manipulate the opposition’s structure and respond fluidly to the match’s flow. Against elite teams like Manchester City and Liverpool, this adaptability has allowed Arsenal to neutralise threats while exploiting the wide areas and half-space channels with precision.

However, the formation does not just serve defensive stability—it also acts as a launching pad for attacking versatility. The players interchange positions fluidly, with wingers cutting inside, fullbacks overlapping, and midfielders recycling possession. This movement creates overloads on either flank or through the centre. 

As a result, opponents are often forced into reactive positions, exposing their backlines to Arsenal’s vertical passing and quick combinations. The team’s balance between compactness and expansiveness is key to maintaining pressure while probing for openings.

Besides, Arteta has not only implemented a tactical model but has also instilled a culture of discipline and purpose. The squad now adheres to strict positioning principles, off-ball diligence, and a collective mindset. Players are evaluated on their ability to understand spatial dynamics and tactical responsibilities. 

Moreover, Arsenal’s transformation at set-pieces has been nothing short of remarkable, thanks to specialist coach Nicolas Jover. Since his appointment, Arsenal has climbed to the top of the Premier League charts for goals scored from corners. However, this is the direct result of repeated drills, video analysis, and adaptive execution. Opposing defenses have struggled to track the layered movement and decoys orchestrated by Nicolas Jover. 

With precise deliveries from Martin Ødegaard or Bukayo Saka and intelligent runs by Gabriel or Ben White, Arsenal has turned every dead ball into a high-probability chance. This conversion rate has contributed significantly to their goal tally, providing crucial breakthroughs in tightly contested matches – helping them finish second in the league despite not a single player scoring ten or more goals. 

What Will Andrea Berta Bring To The Table? 

Italian director of football Andrea Berta became the permanent successor to Edu after the former Gunners midfielder left Emirates Stadium at the end of 2024. Berta arrives in North London with the reputation of being one of the shrewdest sporting directors in European football.

He worked for Italian sides Parma and Genoa before joining Atlético Madrid, initially as their technical director, in 2013. While at Atletico, he was instrumental in signing Rodri, Antoine Griezmann and Jan Oblak. 

French forward Antoine Griezmann – who is arguably one of the club’s greatest players – was signed from Real Sociedad for £24.8m in 2014 and five years later was sold to Barcelona for £103m. Atlético then bought him back in 2021 for just £16.5m.

Spain midfielder Rodri, now a Ballon d’Or winner, was signed for £16.5m in 2018 and sold to Manchester City the following year for £62.5m, while Slovenian goalkeeper Oblak signed from Benfica in 2014 for just £13m. He’s now widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

More recently, forward Luís Suarez was bought from Barcelona at just £5.5m and played an instrumental role during their 2020-21 La Liga winning run while Julián Alvarez joined from Manchester City last summer for £81.5m. 

For Arsenal, though, there are a few immediate issues he has to deal with first. The main and most obvious task is to ensure that Arsenal bring in a much-needed forward. The Gunners have suffered key injuries to key attackers this season and have not brought in a forward for two transfer windows in a row.

There is also an argument that Arteta’s side could do with a player who has some flair and the ability to make something happen from the wings when they play against teams that sit in a low block against them in the Premier League, while cover for their attacking midfielders is also a necessity. 

However, it’s not only incomings that Berta will need to address. It’s a big summer for the club with key players Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães entering the last two years of their contracts. Berta will need to make sure that those players are locked down so that Arteta can continue to build on the impressive work he has done with the team.

There are also players who need to be moved on. Oleksandr Zinchenko has dropped further down the pecking order after the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly and the Gunners were willing to let him go in January if they received the right offer. Both Leandro Trossard and Fabio Vieira will also be on the chopping board and their fate will be decided depending on how the window pans out for the Gunners. 

It is an exciting project for any sporting director to come into but with the Gunners challenging for silverware in recent seasons, this summer is not something that Berta can afford to get wrong.

How Will The Gunners Use Their £250 Million Summer War Chest?

Possibly the first question any Arsenal fan will be asked this summer. Arteta made it clear on several occasions in January that he wanted reinforcements up front, but one failed Ollie Watkins bid later, the Gunners enacted the emergency Mikel Merino protocol up front.

Now blessed with an experienced head like Andrea Berta as their new sporting director, the Gunners – barring a transfer disaster – will finally add that big-money number nine to their squad this summer, most likely Viktor Gyökeres but potentially Benjamin Šeško if the conditions of a deal prove more favourable.

Manchester United seem to be Arsenal’s biggest competition in the Gyökeres fight, but the Gunners should be able to sell their sporting project as the more appealing one, and Berta will go all in on the charm offensive after trying and failing to sign him for Atlético Madrid while working in the Spanish capital.

However, while signing a striker is undoubtedly Arsenal’s biggest priority, it is not their only priority, as a new central midfielder, wide attacker and goalkeeper must also be bought regardless of what happens with any existing players.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that the Gunners are set to spend upwards of £250m this summer.

While speaking on Curtis Shaw TV, he said:

“Even though net spend is more important, if there are outgoings you can balance your outlay, but if you look at what they’re going to put towards transfers, it might be in the region of £250m or even £300m. It is going to be a busy and exciting summer.”

The Gunners are expected to complete the signing of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi this summer, with the club expected to meet his £51m release clause. With both Nico Williams and Viktor Gyökeres also reportedly available for £60m each, the Gunners will still have more than £100m (excluding outgoings) left to strengthen other areas of the pitch. 

The Gunners will be looking to add defensive depth to their squad and Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande is a player that has been on their radar for a while. Arsenal have also identified Espanyol #1 Joan Garcia as their no.1 choice for the backup goalkeeper role, however, the Gunners will face tough competition from Barcelona. 

The Gunners are also among the frontrunners to sign Norwegian wonderkid Sverre Nypan from Rosenberg this summer as a back-up to Martin Ødegaard, however, both Aston Villa and Manchester City are also keeping close tabs on his transfer situation. 

Expectations For The 2025/26 Season 

After the captivating chaos of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons – where Arsenal ran Man City incredibly close on both occasions – Arteta has evidently tried to shift to a more control-focused approach, but one that has arguably made the Gunners worse to watch.

An over-reliance on set-pieces and frequent time-wasting may be rival supporters’ biggest gripes with Arsenal, while Gooners themselves will be frustrated with their side’s laborious build-up play, silly red cards and an inability to keep their top performers fit.

Only three Arsenal players were available for every single Premier League game this season; David Raya, Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior. The hierarchy simply did not do enough to ensure that Arsenal were well-covered in the event of a worst-case scenario, but the players on the pitch were also guilty of losing leads far too easily and failing to convert draws into wins.

Domestically, 2024-25 was a massive underachievement. Continentally, 2024-25 saw Arsenal pull off the greatest result the Emirates has ever seen. But the only thing that really matters is that 2024-25 was another trophyless season for the Gunners. That cannot happen in 2025-26.

If it does, the #ArtetaOut forces will grow in voice and in numbers, potentially to the point where the board may have to consider a change.