Arsenal's 21-man shortlist revealed as rivals snapped up £100m-plus targets

Arsenal entered the summer window with an extensive 21-man shortlist, yet watched several of their top targets land at rival clubs in deals worth upwards of £100 million, according to a BBC Sport report published after the window closed.

Morgan Rogers sat at the very top of Arsenal’s wishlist, but the England international completed a £117 million move to Chelsea rather than north London. Bradley Barcola was another name on the list; the France winger left Paris Saint-Germain for Liverpool in a deal worth £123 million. Elliot Anderson, reportedly tracked by Arsenal throughout the summer, ultimately signed for Manchester City from Nottingham Forest for £116 million, while Sandro Tonali — also said to have been on the Gunners’ radar — completed a £100 million switch from Newcastle United to Tottenham Hotspur.

Juventus midfielder Kenan Yildiz featured on the list alongside Yan Diomande, who left RB Leipzig for Real Madrid in a £120 million deal. Vinicius Jr and Julián Álvarez were also cited as potential targets, though both stayed at their respective clubs — Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.

Among the England-based players Arsenal were said to have monitored were Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott of Bournemouth, Joao Pedro and Amadou Onana — who moved to Aston Villa — Jeremy Monga, Louis Page, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Overseas targets included Nico Paz of Como, Malick Fofana, Ivan Fresneda, Jacobo Ramon and Tarik Muharemovic.

Despite the misses, Mikel Arteta did add four permanent signings to his squad: Bruno Guimarães, Ezri Konsa, Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier all joined the reigning Premier League champions. The window also brought significant departures, with Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Christian Nørgaard and Fábio Vieira all leaving on permanent deals.

Arsenal’s next opportunity to strengthen the squad arrives when the January transfer window opens on New Year’s Day.