Arsenal's summer was shaped less by the players they brought in than by the attackers they tried and failed to land. Gabriel Martinelli's move to Al-Hilal Saudi FC is now at the final stages, with the winger due for medical examinations in Riyadh today and the departure set to be confirmed before Sunday, when the Saudi window closes. He even boarded a private jet at Biggin Hill Airport on Thursday morning with upwards of 10 suitcases.

Galatasaray's interest had already set the fee talk rolling. Their first bid was around £38.5m, before they came back with £43m plus a 20 per cent sell-on clause.

Martinelli's exit and Arsenal's late search

The move away from Martinelli also came with a small reality check on his output. He has 4 appearances and 1 goal in his 2026 all-comps sample, which is steady enough, but not the sort of level that would stop Arsenal looking for a step up on the left.

Once the exit became likely, Arsenal went into the market for a direct ball-carrier who could stretch defences in the way Martinelli does. A club source told football.london: "There was a sense Ndiaye was more of a creator despite his dribbling ability and Arsenal were not short of that skillset." That is why Iliman Ndiaye did not become the answer.

The club also tracked Bradley Barcola closely, but were not willing to engage after PSG slapped an initial £145m price-tag on him. Morgan Rogers was another name in the search, and the window closed without the left-sided upgrade Arsenal wanted.

The elite targets Arsenal missed

Arsenal's bigger swings told the same story. They were prepared to spend club-record money to land Julian Alvarez, but the move did not happen. On 6 August, they were informed by Roc Nation Sports that Vinicius Junior would be signing a new deal at Real Madrid.

There was also confusion around the Vinicius pursuit, and Arsenal sources pushed back on one version of events. A club source said: "Contrary to reports, personal terms were never agreed." The same source added that the approach was real and that the player gave serious consideration to joining the club.

That is the part of the window that will annoy Arsenal most. This was not a case of aiming low and missing; they tried for the top end of the market, then watched the deals move away before anything stuck.

The rest of the window still had some attacking promise. Christos Tzolis posted an 8.2 rating and 2 assists in the Community Shield, while Piero Hincapie logged a 7.0 rating there too. But those additions do not change the main issue on the left, where Arsenal still ended up short of the ceiling-raiser they wanted.

The final stage is now straightforward. Martinelli's medicals in Riyadh are due today, his departure should be confirmed before Sunday, and Arsenal head into the last days of the Saudi window without the replacement they spent most of the summer chasing.

FAQ

Why did Arsenal end the summer without a left-sided replacement for Gabriel Martinelli?

Arsenal chased a left-sided difference-maker after Gabriel Martinelli's Saudi move gathered pace, but they baulked at prices for Morgan Rogers, Bradley Barcola, Vinicius Junior and others. They also felt Iliman Ndiaye was more of a creator than the direct ball-carrier they wanted. The window closed with Martinelli due for medicals in Riyadh and no clear replacement landing.

Did Arsenal really try to sign Vinicius Junior this summer?

Yes, Arsenal sources said the approach was real and that the player gave serious consideration to joining the club. They also denied reports that personal terms had ever been agreed. On 6 August, Arsenal were told by Roc Nation Sports that Vinicius Junior would be signing a new deal at Real Madrid.

How close were Arsenal to signing Julian Alvarez?

Arsenal were prepared to spend club-record money to land Julian Alvarez, but the move did not happen. The club's summer also included a push for Vinicius Junior and a close look at Bradley Barcola, only to end without the ceiling-raiser they wanted on the left.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →