Arsenal have certainly operated like a club that are sick of their ’bridesmaid’ tag this summer.
The Gunners were distant challengers to Liverpool last season, but nonetheless earned their third consecutive second-place finish in the Premier League. It was a campaign of domestic regression but continental improvement, with injuries ultimately compromising their charge on multiple fronts.
The appointment of Andrea Berta as sporting director ignited hope that this summer would be a big one, and the Italian has so far appeased supporters by aiding an expensive transfer window. Only Liverpool have spent more than the perennial contenders, and Arsenal may not yet be done on the incomings front with the deadline inching closer.
However, the Gunners also have other priorities before the window slams shut.
Another Defender... Apparently
Arsenal’s stunning swoop for Eberechi Eze under Tottenham Hotspur’s nose means they’ve bolstered Mikel Arteta’s squad with seven new players this summer, but the Spaniard clearly isn’t satisfied with the relative lack of defensive additions.
A summer window rarely goes by without Arteta boosting his backline, and Arsenal have so far only signed one defender in 2025: Valencia’s Cristhian Mosquera. The Gunners look well stocked in defence, especially after Mosquera’s arrival, and many supporters had hoped the club would take one last swing at the left-wing position, even after signing Eze.
However, it looks like Arteta will get his wish by reinforcing the left side of his defence with the addition of Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapié, who wants out of Bayer Leverkusen and has been linked with a move to, you guessed it, Arsenal’s fierce north London rivals.
The Gunners are merely exploring the possibility, with Hincapié a defender who can provide cover at left centre back and left back, similar to Riccardo Calafiori. He’d be an upgrade on their current depth options, but Arsenal need to sell before they hasten their pursuit of the Ecuadorian.
Focus on Sales
Arsenal have so far failed to shift the deadwood from Mikel Arteta’s ranks as their net spend bill continues to rack up.
Leverkusen reportedly want around €60 million (£52 million, $70.1 million) for Hincapié’s services, so any deal would see the Gunners’ transfer outlay move beyond the €350 million mark.
They have some financial juggling to do in order to steer clear of potential PSR trouble, and the club are hopeful of shifting five players before the deadline. Porto have come in for Jakub Kiwior, while Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Reiss Nelson are also on the chopping block. They have been all summer.
As it stands, it looks like Arsenal will have to settle for loans.
New Contract for Cornerstones
Away from ins and outs, Arsenal have important business to conduct on the contractual front.
The Gunners have done an excellent job throughout Arteta’s tenure of tying down their cornerstones for the long haul, limiting transfer talk. They’ve already extended Gabriel’s contract until 2029 this summer, and are working on new deals for Bukayo Saka and William Saliba.
With both contracts expiring in 2027, there’s not necessarily a desperate need for both players to sign on the dotted line imminently, but tying them up sooner rather than later would be preferred.
The club remains confident that the two superstars will sign renewals, with the pair currently earning just shy of £200,000-a-week, per Spotrac. Kai Havertz remains the club’s highest earner (£280,000-a-week), but there has been talk of these bumper new deals potentially usurping the German’s lucrative pay packet.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Transfers: What Do Gunners Need in Final Week of Transfer Window?.