Ian Wright says Arteta is 'unhappy' as Arsenal miss out on marquee forward again

Arsenal closed the summer transfer window without the world-class forward Mikel Arteta had been targeting, and club legend Ian Wright believes the Gunners manager is paying the price for a second consecutive window of unfinished business.

Sporting director Andrea Berta did strengthen the squad, overseeing five arrivals worth a combined £200 million. Piero Hincapie’s loan was made permanent, goalkeeper Illan Meslier arrived on a free transfer, and the signings of Christos Tzolis, Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa gave supporters genuine cause for optimism. Yet the window’s final days made it increasingly clear that the high-profile left-winger Arteta had prioritised would not be arriving at the Emirates.

That disappointment was compounded by the departures of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, which have left Arsenal’s forward line looking thinner than it was at the start of the summer.

Wright, speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, was direct in his assessment. “It’s not a disastrous window but if I’m Mikel, I wouldn’t be happy with how this window has gone simply because we’ve gone another window where we have not got that forward,” he said. “Mikel has talked about getting players to take us to that level — he did it again after Paris, where we didn’t have that player to break them. They chased Vini until the end of the earth and left Morgan Rogers dangling.”

Rogers’ eventual move to Chelsea was singled out as a particular source of frustration. Gary Neville argued on the same show that Arsenal did not need the England midfielder, but Wright pushed back firmly. “I think we did need Rogers. You say we have got those types of players but that is what Mikel wanted. It is a position where we need that player. Of course Saka is back, Odegaard is back, Havertz is back and playing together, but he wanted that difference-maker.”

With the January window now on the horizon, attention is already turning to whether Arsenal will revisit their pursuit of a forward. Julian Alvarez has been mentioned in connection with a potential winter move, though no concrete details have emerged from the club. How Arteta’s side cope in the meantime — particularly with a weakened attacking unit — will likely define whether January becomes a necessity rather than an opportunity.