Andrea Berta’s work in the summer transfer window was considered a triumph at the time, but upon reflection, Arsenal crucially missed out on improving their attack.
There’s a growing narrative this season that Arsenal don’t have a superstar in their attack.
What’s worrying about that claim is that it’s true, as every one of Arsenal’s forwards are considerably underperforming in the Premier League.
So, while Andrea Berta earned rave reviews in the summer for bolstering Mikel Arteta’s squad depth, the Gunners’ sporting director needs to answer questions about what happened in the attacking market.
Imagine you are Andrea Berta. Who is your top target for Arsenal in the summer transfer window?
Arsenal’s attacking frailties suggest the 2025 summer transfer window wasn’t as good as it seemed
Out of the eight signings Arsenal made in the summer transfer window, only three were forwards.
Viktor Gyokeres was chosen over other candidates, which has since proven to be a failure.
Gyokeres is not a Premier League-level striker, and while the other two attackers, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, are, they’re not world-class or of an elite bracket.
That is the sole problem with where Arsenal are now, as the attack is stagnant, one-dimensional and quite frankly boring to watch.
The Gunners are missing a world-class spark, which poses the question as to whether the £180m expenditure on Eze, Gyokeres and Madueke could’ve been better spent elsewhere.
Hindsight suggests that the answer to that question is yes.
Arsenal enjoyed taking Eze from Tottenham’s grasp, but it’s clear from how Arteta uses the playmaker that he’s not a good fit.
In the case of Madueke, a fee just shy of £50m was spent on a winger who has great promise, but isn’t the finished article.
None of Arsenal’s three attacking signings are the finished article, which was very clearly not what the Gunners needed on the back of the 2024/25 season heading into the summer.
Andrea Berta’s work on Arsenal’s squad depth makes the 2026 summer transfer window very simple
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Berta, the opposite, in fact, as Arsenal’s squad depth is why they can challenge on all four fronts.
It’s also why the 2026 summer transfer window is as simple as ever for the Italian, who needs to revamp Arsenal’s attack, and not a lot else.
Discuss: What is the ideal sale price for Gabriel Martinelli?
Players such as Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus need to be sold and upgraded, with the left wing and the centre-forward roles needing the most attention.
Arsenal have realised this season that only an elite forward will cut it, and there will be no excuses if the front line is not transformed.
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