Why £75m Arsenal star can remodel Arteta’s assault

Arsenal have gained three from three to start out the brand new season. What’s all of the fuss about?

Nicely, if the Gunners should not sat right here in a 12 months as back-to-back Premier League winners, Andrea Berta can have inquiries to reply. It might not even be too drastic to counsel it may value him his job.

In 2025, the Italian was spectacular throughout his first window in control of recruitment. It was one of the eye-catching summers Arsenal have loved in latest occasions.

But, 2026 has been a wrestle. Berta missed out on key targets, dilly-dallied over numerous offers and as soon as all was mentioned and carried out, Christos Tzolis was the one ahead participant to reach.

How Arsenal’s assault has been weakened

After the Champions League closing in Could, Mikel Arteta took to his post-match press convention and demanded that ambition was proven this summer time to take his staff to the following stage.

Whereas PSG’s swashbuckling assault of Want Doue, Khivcha Kvaratskhelia, Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele had not torn them to shreds in Budapest, all the pre-game build-up involved how the Gunners may cope with such a menacing ahead line.

These 4 sensational attackers had performed a significant half in getting Luis Enrique’s facet to the ultimate and has now been the distinction in consecutive Champions League crowns.

Arsenal’s assault, compared, is loads worse. As Jamie Carragher put it after Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa, they’re “the perfect staff defensively in Europe.” On the reverse finish of the pitch, there are nonetheless holes and the hierarchy have failed the supervisor this summer time

Arteta issued that rallying name and whereas the final word present of ambition noticed them go after Vinicius Junior, neither him nor different targets together with Julian Alvarez, Morgan Rogers or Kenan Yildiz arrived.

What’s extra, the membership’s ahead line truly seems even worse than it did final time period. Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri had been unlikely to play a significant half – they did not achieve this in 2025/26 – however each have left, albeit Nwaneri has solely departed on mortgage to Borussia Dortmund.

FC Barcelona/Handout through REUTERS

But, cult hero Leandro Trossard has left for Besiktas and Gabriel Martinelli is on his strategy to Al Hilal for £55m. He’ll grow to be the membership’s report sale. There is a optimistic there.

Nonetheless, within the technique of letting 4 forwards go, they’ve solely changed them with Tzolis. It is an enormous failure and it may come again to chew them.

How Arsenal’s assault may very well be remodeled

Okay, okay, let’s cease being so adverse for a second.

Arsenal are English champions for the primary time in 22 years they usually did pull off some spectacular enterprise. Ezri Konsa is a wonderful back-up to William Saliba and can possible play an vital half on this first half of the season, particularly.

REUTERS/David Klein

Barring that match away at Villa, Tzolis has impressed too. He registered objective contributions towards Girona, Dortmund and Actual Betis in pre-season whereas offered a brace of assists in he Group Protect.

Nonetheless, it has been a problem for supporters to neglect concerning the Greek’s show final Monday. Hooked at half-time in favour of Eberechi Eze, nothing went proper for him on the night time.

So, what is the resolution to enhancing Arsenal’s assault? Nicely, they’ve signed Bruno Guimaraes for £75m.

Motion Photographs through Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

The previous Newcastle United captain is a midfielder by commerce, “top-of-the-line midfielders on the planet” within the phrases of the aforementioned Martinelli however he may play a significant half in issues on the prime finish of the pitch.

Whereas Guimaraes is often related to enjoying in a deeper position, he definitely performed in additional superior positions for the Toon final time period, registering a profession excessive 9 targets over the course of the season, in addition to registering seven assists.

To place that quantity into context, solely 4 gamers at Arsenal scored extra in 2025/26; Viktor Gyokeres, Bukayo Saka, Eze and Martinelli. Moreover, solely 4 gamers created extra assists; Declan Rice, Trossard, Saka and Martin Odegaard.

So, the Brazilian may supply a a lot wanted prime up of objective involvements if given the license to roam ahead. If he does play in that superior position, he may very well be game-changing so far as probability creation is anxious.

Let’s forged our minds again to the 2022/23 season. Granit Xhaka – a likeminded participant to Guimaraes – performed because the 8. His potential to supply line-breaking passes was a really underrated component of his recreation but it surely was transformative for Arsenal’s assault.

It was hardly a shock that Martinelli had his greatest season in entrance of objective with 15 when Xhaka was enjoying alongside him.

Guimaraes is lower from the same material. He made extra line-breaking passes than any Arsenal midfielder final marketing campaign. He is a dogged midfielder with warrior spirit and he’ll get in your face very similar to Xhaka. However, he is additionally obtained the technical attributes the Swiss had. We noticed that towards Aston Villa.

Bruno appeared for the ultimate 19 minutes and accomplished 87% of his passes. There was one distinctive second when he took possession on the sting of the realm and slid a beautiful defence splitting go into the penalty space in direction of Kai Havertz. It ended up in a goalscoring alternative being carved out. It was so Xhaka-like.

Certain, the 28-year-old isn’t the definition of an attacker however the best way wherein he performs may very well be game-breaking for Arteta’s entrance three.

They want extra creativity, they want extra penetrative passing between the traces into the ahead gamers, notably towards the low blocks they face. Guimaraes will present precisely that.