Arsenal are second in the Premier League and a game away from a Champions League final. It’s been a good season, right? Right…? Think again.
You may well read this thinking that Arsenal fans are entitled, but the fact of the matter is this has actually been a particularly arduous season.
The club failed to sign anyone in January and as a result, are now paying the price. Injuries have been their downfall at various points in the season, as too have some bizarre levels of officiating. The latest saw Evanilson score with his arm on Saturday. VAR didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.
Then, there has been a remarkable level of underperformance in the Premier League ever since January. To sum up Mikel Arteta’s woes, the club have dropped 21 points from winning positions in the Premier League this term, their joint-most ever in a single season, level with 2019/20.
Meanwhile, for all of the praise set-piece coach Nicolas Jover gets for their attacking set-plays, Arsenal have conceded 38.7% of their league goals from set-pieces this season, the biggest proportion of all Premier League clubs.
So, how do Arsenal go about improving their poor track record? Hard work, of course, but the transfer window must be better optimised than it was over the winter.
Arsenal's plans to sign a new forward
There are plenty of attacking players on the club’s shortlist with Sky in Germany reporting over recent days that new sporting director, Andrea Berta, is pushing for the signing of Sporing striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Transfer Focus
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The Gunners are still keen admirers of Newcastle’s Alexander Isak but it feels like that deal will be a particularly tough one to get over the line given the Toon’s alleged £150m asking price.
Elsewhere, Arsenal are keen to strengthen in wide areas with the likes of Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams still on their radar and Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz the subject of interest.
Any player they do sign, Arteta will certainly hope he’ll be a great deal better than Raheem Sterling. Sadly, that might not be the case.
Indeed, according to reports in Brazil over recent days, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid are two clubs that have made enquiries to sign Antony.
Yes, that’s the Manchester United Antony, the winger Erik ten Hag and Co famously signed from Ajax for £85m.
The Brazilian is on loan at Real Betis in Spain at the moment, and they are also interested in signing him on a permanent basis in the summer.
Another Raheem Sterling for Arsenal
It’s safe to say that the addition of Sterling, arriving on loan from Chelsea on deadline day in the summer transfer window, has been a bit of a disaster.
As the England international penned terms at the Emirates Stadium, the winger suggested that “you will see the best of me.” Sadly, that hasn’t been the case.
It’s been a remarkable fall from grace for the 30-year-old who has made 27 appearances in 2024/25, only scoring once.
Everything Sterling seems to do is done with a lack of confidence and that was apparent when he missed a penalty in the Champions League against Girona a few weeks ago.
Even with Bukayo Saka out injured, the forward struggled to get into the side and has actually only started six times in the league all season.
Antony, unfortunately, would be a repeat of this situation. Notably described as ‘the worst value-for-money signing in Premier League history’ by the Guardian, the flashy winger hasn’t done a lot right since moving to Old Trafford.
2022/23
47
10
5
38
9
4
2023/24
38
3
2
43
10
11
2024/25
33
7
4
27
1
5
Also dubbed as “one of the worst wingers in the league” by one content creator, that’s a statement that his alarmingly poor numbers can back up in recent years.
While Antony has found form at Betis, scoring six goals and registering four assists in 19 games, his record at United has been nothing short of dismal.
Before heading to Betis, the 25-year-old had only scored once this season in a League Cup tie with Barnsley, while last campaign, he scored three goals in 38 outings, only finding the net once in 29 Premier League fixtures. He also ended the league season with the worst conversion rate (2.3%) of any player to score. Need we say any more here?
Antony has shown at Betis that there’s a player in there, but he simply isn’t cut out for English football. Arsenal need to stay well away this summer.
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