Arsenal enter the new Premier League season with a squad many consider among the strongest in Europe, yet the club's failure to land a marquee forward this summer has left supporters and pundits questioning whether Mikel Arteta's side have addressed their most pressing need.
Speaking after last season's Champions League final defeat to Paris St-Germain, Arteta outlined his vision for the summer window, saying Arsenal needed to be "very ambitious, very fast, and very smart." The Gunners had already delivered a first league title in 22 years, finishing seven points clear and going unbeaten in normal time throughout their Champions League campaign, only falling to Luis Enrique's PSG on penalties in the final.
Despite that success, doubts persisted over the club's attacking options. Viktor Gyokeres, signed for £64m from Sporting last summer, scored 21 goals in his debut season but questions remain about his fit within Arteta's system. Similar concerns surrounded the wide forwards, with Leandro Trossard fading after a strong start and Gabriel Martinelli managing just one league goal despite six in Europe. Both have since departed - Trossard to Besiktas for £15.3m and Martinelli nearing a club-record £60m move to Al-Hilal.
Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick made clear the club's broader ambitions in an interview with the Times, describing the aim of joining football's elite super-clubs as "the goal - that's the ambition." However, he also conceded that competition for top talent has intensified, noting the "pool of players is smaller now than it was a few years ago if we're going to improve."
That difficulty was evident throughout the window. Sporting director Andrea Berta pursued multiple targets simultaneously, with Arsenal linked to Morgan Rogers, Bradley Barcola, Julian Alvarez and Vinicius Jr. None of the moves materialized. The pursuit of Vinicius Jr became public amid uncertainty over his Real Madrid contract, but the Spanish giants ultimately offered improved terms that kept him in the Spanish capital.
Arsenal also stuck to their valuation of £80m for Rogers, only for Chelsea to complete his signing from Aston Villa for £117m. Reservations over Barcola's fee saw Liverpool secure that deal instead, leaving Alvarez as the final realistic target. Despite Atletico Madrid's refusal to negotiate with Barcelona and Arteta personally outlining plans to the Argentine forward, the move collapsed as Alvarez returned to training in Madrid.
Instead, Arsenal's business focused elsewhere. The club signed Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes for £75m, Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa for £55m, converted Piero Hincapie's loan into a permanent £34.5m deal, and brought in winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for £34m. Guimaraes has already drawn praise as one of the window's standout signings, while Konsa arrives with impressive statistics from last season, ranking as the league's best defender for ground duel success (73.1%) and passing accuracy (95%). His arrival was largely prompted by injuries to William Saliba and Jurrien Timber.
Elsewhere, Christian Norgaard joined Everton for £7m and Gabriel Jesus completed a £12.8m move to Barcelona after a season limited by fitness and selection issues, though he still managed 27 appearances and six goals.
With Martinelli and Trossard gone, Eberechi Eze is expected to take on a greater role from the left, a position he excelled in during his time at Crystal Palace and one he occupied effectively in Arsenal's recent win over Aston Villa. Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino, both previously affected by injury, now return fully fit and offer additional attacking options.
Arsenal remain favorites to defend their title, boasting a bench that recently included nine full internationals. Yet Gyokeres' absence from the opening two Premier League fixtures has only intensified scrutiny. Should goals prove harder to come by, questions over the club's decision not to sign a marquee forward this summer are unlikely to fade.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.