Arsenal went into the new season without the marquee attacker they chased, but they still look best placed to handle the damage of a record transfer window. They have started with two wins, sit top of the Premier League table and added depth rather than ripping up the squad. Phil McNulty's view, after the window closed, was that Julian Alvarez was not a deal breaker.
Arsenal's balance after missing Alvarez
Arsenal's interest in Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez did not pay off, and that was the headline miss of their summer. Even so, McNulty said they still look best equipped to win another title, and Jamie Braidwood made the same broader point in a separate assessment, saying the window was still good enough for a title defence.
The key point is that Arsenal did not just stand still. They brought in Bruno Guimarães, a £75m signing from Newcastle United, and Ezri Konsa, while Guimarães' brief cameo in the 1-0 win against Aston Villa gave an early glimpse of what he adds. That kind of business is not glamorous, but it does make the squad harder to unsettle.
Rivals spent more, but not more cleanly
Manchester City set a Premier League record with £458m of spending in a single window, which tells you plenty about the scale of the rebuild. City are also 15th in the current table, so the outlay sits alongside transition rather than certainty.
Chelsea's churn is harder to read in the same way, because the squad is sixth and still being judged on a live run rather than a finished product. Liverpool's own spending has drawn attention too, with one source putting Bradley Barcola at £120m and another at £123m. Either way, the fee sits among the huge numbers that made this window feel more chaotic than settled.
Arsenal's edge is that their summer looked targeted. They did not get the headline forward, but they kept a team that has already won four of its last five league matches and opened with two wins. In a window where several rivals paid for upheaval, that is a better place to be.
FAQ
Why do Arsenal still look the best title bet after the transfer window?
Arsenal missed out on Julian Alvarez, but they still started the new Premier League season with two wins and remain top of the table. Phil McNulty said Alvarez was not a deal breaker, and the club also added Bruno Guimarães and Ezri Konsa, with Guimarães showing in a brief cameo against Aston Villa what he will bring.
How did Manchester City’s transfer spending change the title race?
Manchester City’s spending reached a Premier League-record £458m for a single transfer window. That scale points to a major rebuild rather than a minor tune-up, especially with City currently 15th in the table.
What did Arsenal gain from Bruno Guimarães and Ezri Konsa?
Arsenal added Bruno Guimarães, a £75m signing from Newcastle United, and Ezri Konsa. Guimarães had a brief cameo in the 1-0 win against Aston Villa and showed what he will bring, which supports the case that Arsenal improved their depth even without the marquee attacker they chased.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
