Heading into the season, there was real belief that Arsenal could finally break through and win their first league title since the Invincibles in 2004. Instead, they took a step back. Not only did they miss out again, but they finished a full 10 points behind champions Liverpool, ending on 74 points. That’s 15 fewer than last season and even 10 fewer than in 2023.
Still, Arsenal aren’t wasting any time. With the dust barely settled, the club already has its sights set on the summer transfer window, targeting a few key signings to finally close that gap and make a serious title run.
One of the clearest issues this past season was in attack. While 69 league goals might sound solid, behind only Liverpool and Manchester City, it’s a steep drop from the 91 they scored last year. Even more concerning, for the first time since 1924, Arsenal didn’t have a single player hit double figures in the Premier League. Kai Havertz led the way with just nine goals.
Injuries didn’t help. Saka, Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus all missed time. But this also underlined a bigger problem. Arsenal still don’t have a true number nine. That’s where Benjamin Sesko comes in.
The 22-year-old striker has been linked heavily with a move to North London, and it’s easy to see why. Since joining RB Leipzig, Sesko has been consistently productive, scoring 14 Bundesliga goals in 2023 and 13 more in 2024.
He brings something Arsenal sorely need, a natural striker’s presence in the box. Unlike Havertz, who tends to drop deep and link play like a midfielder, Sesko stays high, giving players like Martin Odegaard more space and freedom to operate.
He could also help Arsenal solve another major issue, finishing games. The Gunners dropped a staggering 21 points from winning positions and failed to win 10 league matches where they’d taken the lead. A clinical finisher like Sesko could be the difference between dropped points and victories.
But Arsenal’s transfer ambitions don’t end at striker. There’s a growing sense that they also need more firepower on the left wing. Saka has the right side locked down, with Ethan Nwaneri emerging as a capable backup.
On the left, though, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard have been good, not great. Martinelli chipped in 12 league goals, while Trossard added 15 goal contributions. Compare that to Saka’s 16 despite missing games, and it’s clear there’s an imbalance.
To address that, Arsenal have been strongly linked with Rodrygo from Real Madrid. With Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior set to dominate the starting roles in Madrid, Rodrygo could be open to a move. Though he’s usually played on the right, Rodrygo actually prefers the left side, exactly where Arsenal need help. At 23, he’s still developing, but already boasts a Champions League pedigree and top-level experience.
Last season, he scored six goals and provided five assists in La Liga, plus another five goals and two assists in Europe. He wouldn’t come cheap, and Arsenal might have to convince him to leave Madrid just as Xabi Alonso takes charge, but if they get the chance to sign him, they should go all in.
Pairing Rodrygo with a new striker could give Arsenal the attacking threat they’ve been missing. Games they failed to close out this past season could suddenly swing their way, and that might be the difference between second place and a title.
In midfield, Arsenal are also closing in on another long-term target, Martin Zubimendi. The Real Sociedad midfielder has been linked with a Premier League move for over a year, and it now looks like Arsenal are ready to trigger his release clause and bring him to North London.
Zubimendi is exactly the kind of deep-lying playmaker Arsenal need. His presence could free up Odegaard to focus more on creating and scoring, rather than dropping deep to build play. It might also ease the burden on Declan Rice, allowing him to play with more freedom and intensity rather than always sitting back.
Odegaard struggled this season by his own high standards. He still scored 11 league goals, but that was down from 18 and 22 in his previous two campaigns. In the big matches, he often faded. Some of that came from being stretched too thin, forced to control tempo and act as the primary creator while also trying to get into scoring positions.
Zubimendi could fix that balance. He’s calm, technically sharp, and great at controlling the flow of a game from deep. With him behind Odegaard and Rice, Arsenal’s midfield would have the control and creativity they’ve lacked in crunch moments.
All of these moves, Sesko up front, Rodrygo on the wing, and Zubimendi in midfield, could be the key to unlocking a more complete Arsenal side. They would add firepower, stability, and depth in exactly the areas the Gunners fell short this season.
Arsenal are close. Really close. But to go from nearly-men to Premier League champions, they need to be ruthless this summer. The right signings could finally end the two-decade wait.
