Opinion: Why Arsenal’s Failure to Sign a Striker Before Singapore Trip Speaks Volumes

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·23 luglio 2025

Opinion: Why Arsenal’s Failure to Sign a Striker Before Singapore Trip Speaks Volumes

Just hours after we beat Watford 3-0 behind closed doors, Arsenal flew out to Singapore. Unless the Gunners have a surprise up their sleeve (and that isn’t our style), it seems Viktor Gyokeres was not on the plane.

I’ve said all summer there isn’t much difference between confirming a signing in mid-June or early July. Yet for many, if a new striker wasn’t on that flight, that was the moment to start worrying.

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There should be no concern that Gyokeres won’t become a Gunner. Reports in Portugal say his friend has started emptying his home into a moving van, while even his brother now follows Arsenal online. Sporting Lisbon are equally unlikely to walk away from the deal, as the actual fee has been agreed. It’s now just the finer details both sides are haggling over—reportedly around how achievable the bonuses are and when they’ll be paid.

With both clubs playing poker for months, this may be the Portuguese champions calling our bluff for the final time. They knew Mikel Arteta would have wanted the 27-year-old on that flight, and perhaps assumed Andrea Berta would blink for the sake of a few million.

Pre-season delay speaks volumes

I’ve given our Director of Football the benefit of the doubt, and there are certainly upsides to how he negotiates. But the Italian has failed to meet his deadline: our squad has started its pre-season tour unsettled.

Noorgard and Arrizabalaga may be decent backup players, but arguably only Zubimendi, as things stand, makes our starting eleven look any different from last season. Of course, there’s nothing stopping Gyokeres flying over once his future is confirmed. But concern grows if Arsenal return to the UK and this saga remains unresolved.

There’s irony in the fact that the one confirmed signing this week won’t meet his new teammates until August. Up to the semi-final, Noni Madueke had been playing in the Club World Cup, so a rest was always on the cards. To be fair to the 23-year-old, he offered to cut his holiday short, but Arsenal encouraged him to take a proper break.

In other words, the only talent we managed to seal before leaving England is staying in London anyway.

Noni Madueke (Arsenal.com)

Arteta knows details matter

All clubs have until September to do business, so there’s no need to panic long term. But we’ve seen how chaotic it can be starting a campaign with transfers still in flux. Our manager has often spoken about how sport can be decided by the smallest of details. That success or failure can hinge on the most minute occurrences. It’s why he insists that on and off the pitch, everyone must be immaculate in their preparation.

The less time your top target has to integrate in pre-season, the more likely it is you drop points at places like Old Trafford. As a former player, Arteta knows the benefits of getting deals done early. While he may not have the power to question Berta, our ex-captain would surely see a proven goalscorer starting against AC Milan as worth the extra money.

I’m not qualified to tell billionaire companies how to finalise million-pound deals, but maybe someone from the sporting department needs to step in and admit this indecision is beginning to damage the team.

That moment arrived this weekend, when a player like William Saliba (who we need to convince to sign a new deal) looks around and still doesn’t see anyone likely to score 20 to 30 league goals.

The players read social media, they watch Sky Sports News, and they know the rumours. They want to see ambition. And they’ll be wondering: why aren’t we being more ruthless?

Arsenal would have liked a new striker on the plane, but it clearly wasn’t a priority. That says everything about the current mentality of the club.

Who’s setting the standards here? Who insisted this deadline be met? Or are we still dragging our feet, afraid to take the next step?

Do you think Stan Kroenke is sending emails from America demanding to know why we don’t have a new centre-forward on tour?

He probably doesn’t even know who Gyokeres is.

To be a big club, you have to act like one. Our attack needed help in January. The fact that no new striker boarded that plane tells you more than you might think.

Dan Smith

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