How Arsenal's stunning new-look £551m side could line up in 2026 - if PSG and Juventus targets are signed
Mikel Arteta’s side spent £225m in the summer transfer window, and will look to strengthen again in January
It couldn’t be Arsenal’s year, could it? The Gunners have been here before of course, but from their vantage point at the top of the Premier League they must see nothing that could definitively end their charge for that elusive 14th league title. Ironically, earlier this summer it looked like Arsenal’s investment may have come at just the wrong time.
As Liverpool seemingly signed every big-name player available, Manchester City continued to cherry pick players to feed Pep Guardiola’s revival and newly minted world champions Chelsea enjoyed another extravagant transfer window, it appeared Arsenal’s guarantee of a top two finish may have been revoked, but the league has so far told a different story.
As others have faltered, Arsenal have been far from perfect yet they’ve displayed in abundance that they have the much-needed capability to snatch results out of nowhere and that killer instinct, plus a boosted squad and starting lineup, may be enough to secure a first Premier League crown in over 20 years.
Arsenal ticked off every item on their summer transfer window shopping list bar one, but their continued reliance on set pieces indicates the job is not complete as Arteta looks to transform the Gunners into a side that is capable of winning multiple trophies in a season.
Kenan Yildiz the key to unlocking faltering Gunners attack
As hinted above, the only obvious vacancy in The Gunners’ starting lineup is at left wing, where Arterta could use a world class addition to his squad.
Arsenal’s left wing options this season have produced just two Premier League goal contributions when playing in the position, so Kenan Yildiz could be the final missing piece to turn The Gunners into English champions.
Chelsea had a £60 million bid knocked back for the Turk in the summer and Juventus have been more than justified for turning such a hefty sum down after Yildiz has made six goal contributions in eight games for The Old Lady.
They are now said to demanding £87m a fee which would make him one of the most expensive footballers of all time and bring a winger to Arsenal who has the potential to be one of the best in the world.
Arsenal sign star of the future from Ajax production line
Defensive midfield prodigy Jorthy Mokio has been attracting plenty of attention at Ajax having already wracked up almost half as Eredivisie minutes as he managed in the whole of last season, and Arsenal are among the ‘who’s who’ list of clubs reportedly interested in the 17-year-old.
Valued at €25-30m (£21.5m-26m) by Ajax, Mokio would certainly be an investment for the future given his tender age but the sky looks to be the limit for the teenager who’s already won two caps and scored for Belgium.
Mokio still needs to fine-tune his passing radar but he has an impressive goals record for someone starting so deep and thrives with the ball at his feet and a defender facing him, having also developed a knack for cutting out the opposition’s build-up play.
While his per-game numbers need to be taken with a pinch of salt given how minutes of professional football Mokio has played, they still make for impressive reading.
Compared to players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, Mokio is in the top 2% for carries into the final third per game, the top 8% for successful take-ons and 7% for his expected goals per shot (excluding penalties) meaning it’s little surprise Ajax games have been packed with superclub scouts recently.
Zaire-Emery ready to sprinkle stardust on Arteta and Arsenal
This admittedly isn’t the most realistic rumour, but when a team spends £225m upgrading its starting lineup in the summer there’s only so many further improvements you can make in January.
He’d reportedly cost €90m (£78m), and the 19-year-old would face plenty of competition to start in the midfield trio, up against Rice, Zubimendi, Odegaard, Eze, Nwaneri and Merino. However, players as talented as the teenager don't become available very often, and has the potential to become as big a superstar in north London as his compatriot Thierry Henry. Although, they did say this about Jay Emmanuel-Thomas too...
It's similar to the logic that Liverpool used when signing Florian Wirtz, and then adding Alexander Isak for another British record fee having already splashed £79m on Hugo Ekitike who'd scored five goals by the time Isak made his league debut for the Reds. And both of those moves have gone swimmingly, right?
Arsenal 2026 starting XI if predictions come true: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Zaire-Emery; Saka, Gyokeres, Yildiz.