Arsenal told THREE signings are needed in key summer transfer window after £750m oversight

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Evening Standard

·12 May 2025

Arsenal told THREE signings are needed in key summer transfer window after £750m oversight

Gary Neville reveals where Gunners must strengthen this summer as Mikel Arteta looks to end trophy drought

Arsenal must sign a minimum of three players in the summer transfer window, according to Gary Neville.

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The Gunners are facing up to yet another trophyless campaign following last week’s Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.

An absence of major silverware under Mikel Arteta since the FA Cup success in 2020 has prompted talk of Declan Rice, in particular, potentially questioning his future if the barren run doesn’t end next season.

That said, it would appear the north London outfit are already making moves to put themselves in a good position to challenge for major honours amid talk of closing in on a deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

Though, after going “backwards” this season and coming up short in the Premier League title race once again, Neville believes the Gunners need to recruit at least two forwards this summer.

Neville told Sky Sports: "I'm glad that on Friday in his press conference [Arteta] said [they’d] gone backwards in the Premier League.

"They tickled our backs a little bit for the last month with the Champions League and it sort of took the heat off them a little bit in how bad they’ve been in the league, being 13, 14 points from Liverpool, 13, 14 points from where they were last season and the season before.

"But they’ve left themselves woefully short up top, and they still haven’t got a player in midfield from deep who can receive the ball on the back foot, and [Martin] Zubimendi we think might come to Arsenal.

"They’ve got to deal with that – [Thomas] Partey’s not great at that, Declan Rice was proven in the first leg against PSG that he’s not great at it, he’s better going forwards.

Martin Zubimendi has been tipped to bolster Arsenal’s midfield options

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"So those two key positions, they need two forwards and they need another midfield player.

"But the forward part of it – they’ve signed one striker in seven seasons as a football club.

"I’ve been arguing this all season, it’s ridiculous that they’ve left Mikel Arteta – or Mikel Arteta’s left himself – so short. They’ve spent £750m and signed one striker."