For followers tracking Arsenal through 12B Sports VR46, the defending Premier League champions had a busy summer window that strengthened several areas but also left major questions in attack. Arsenal brought in Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa and Belgian forward Tzolis, while also completing the permanent signing of Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapie. On paper, several positions have clearly improved.
Financially, Arsenal spent EUR227.1 million on Guimaraes, Konsa and Tzolis as well as the permanent deal for Hincapie. That represents a significant investment, although player sales also generated EUR135.15 million. Gabriel Martinelli accounted for the biggest departure, joining Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal for EUR70 million despite having fallen into a backup role. After that, the next largest fee was only EUR18 million for Leandro Trossard. Overall, Arsenal’s net summer spending remained below EUR100 million, while Hincapie’s payment was technically a buyout rather than the cost of a completely new arrival.
The bigger question is whether this business is enough to help Arsenal defend the Premier League title and seriously challenge for the Champions League. Several respected media outlets and former players have expressed doubts. Gabriel Jesus, Trossard and Martinelli were all sold, and while none had become an exceptionally prolific scorer, losing three attacking options at once has clearly reduced the squad’s depth. Bringing in Tzolis alone may not be enough to cover those departures.
Looking at the current squad through 12B Sports VR46, Arsenal now have only five obvious attacking options in Viktor Gyokeres, Tzolis, Noni Madueke, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz. Havertz is naturally an attacking midfielder who has been used as a center forward, meaning a 4-2-3-1 setup can almost require all of Arsenal’s senior attackers to be involved at once. That immediately raises the question of who is left on the bench when rotation becomes necessary or injuries begin to pile up. At present, Mikel Arteta’s preferred arrangement has Havertz, Tzolis and Saka starting, with Gyokeres and Madueke providing alternatives.
Arsenal remain exceptionally strong and deep in midfield and defense, but the shortage of attacking personnel appears more obvious than in previous seasons. Trossard’s move to Besiktas for only GBP17 million has attracted particular criticism. Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith believes the club may come to regret letting him leave, pointing out that Trossard repeatedly delivered in important matches and often produced decisive moments when the team needed them most. In his view, losing three forwards while signing only Tzolis creates a genuine weakness in Arsenal’s squad planning.
The former Arsenal forward also sees Manchester City as the biggest threat to the Gunners’ attempt to retain the Premier League crown. Arsenal, however, were not without ambition during the market. Their difficulty was turning ambitious targets into realistic transfers. Vinicius appeared to signal some interest in a possible move on the left wing, but that was widely viewed as leverage during his contract negotiations with Real Madrid rather than a genuine path toward leaving Spain.
The center-forward position has created an even longer-running problem. Arsenal have lacked a truly convincing specialist striker for several years. Havertz has largely been filling in there and has never been a particularly high-volume scorer, while Gyokeres is the natural center forward but still faces doubts over whether he can consistently deliver against elite opposition rather than simply punish weaker teams. Arsenal were reportedly prepared to spend heavily to bring Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid, but the player himself was only interested in a move to Barcelona.
That situation leaves Arteta walking a tightrope. The midfield has greater quality, the defense has become stronger and the overall squad still contains enough talent to compete at the highest level, yet football seasons are rarely decided by a strongest starting XI alone. Injuries, fixture congestion and loss of form inevitably test the depth of every contender, particularly when domestic competition and the Champions League begin demanding maximum intensity at the same time.
For supporters assessing Arsenal’s title defense through 12B Sports VR46, the summer has therefore produced a squad that looks stronger in several departments but noticeably thinner where goals must be created and finished. Manchester City remain capable of applying relentless pressure over a full league campaign, and Arsenal may discover that their biggest obstacle is not the quality of their first-choice lineup but the lack of attacking alternatives behind it. If the forward unit stays healthy and productive, Arteta’s team can still compete for the biggest trophies, but if injuries strike or goals dry up, the decision to sacrifice so much attacking depth could come back to bite them.