Arsenal may have won the Premier League title last season, but there is still ample room for improvement for Mikel Arteta’s team.

The Gunners ended a gruelling 2025/26 campaign seven points clear of Manchester City. This deficit makes the league triumph look considerably more comfortable than it was, with the last few months of the season in particular extremely difficult to watch as an under-pressure and fatigued set of players scraped over the line.

Not only do Arteta’s men have the opportunity to retain their crown in 2026/27, but they can do so in style, with some minor improvements here and there. Whilst being an elite defensive team last term, conceding just 27 league goals, they scored just 71 goals. Clearly, the North Londoners can become a significantly more threatening and lethal side offensively.

With that said, here are four players who either weren’t in the fold at all last season or were on the periphery of Arteta’s squad who could make a significant difference.

Ben White

Jurrien Timber was outstanding last season, playing a major role in Arsenal’s defensive solidity. The Dutchman was capable of nullifying the threat of any winger he faced, rendering the left-hand side of the Gunners’ opponents completely ineffective.

He started 28 of Arsenal’s first 31 league fixtures before sustaining an injury which kept him out of the final seven. Yet to fully recover from this setback, he’s set to miss the opening few weeks of the season.

Ben White, on the flip side, started just five of these league matches before Timber’s injury. However, he’s enjoyed an impressive pre-season and is raring to go ahead of the new campaign, and fans may be surprised by the impact he makes on Arteta’s team.

While he’s never going to offer the elite defensive assurances Timber does, White can add a lot to Arsenal’s game offensively. An exceptional passer from deep areas, White will set Arsenal up for more direct attacks with his distribution, while the quality of his cutbacks and crosses when played in on the overlap are vastly superior to his Dutch counterpart.

Overall, Arsenal may be somewhat more defensively fragile down their right-hand side, but they may also be significantly more threatening as an attacking team due to White’s presence.

Bruno Guimaraes

Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

Arsenal completed the audacious signing of Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle’s captain and talisman, earlier this month, and this could prove to be one of the acquisitions of the summer in the Premier League.

While the Brazilian has a reputation for being a nasty, tough-tackling midfielder who protects his back four effectively, it’s what he could add to Arsenal’s attack which will elevate the Gunners’ overall level.

Firstly, his ability to progress the ball through his punchy, line-breaking passes will get Arsenal up the pitch and into dangerous areas more frequently, but this attribute should also liberate Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian has been too inclined to drop deep to help facilitate ball progression over the last two seasons, detracting from his creative threat in and around the box.

With Guimaraes taking the ball progression mantle from Arsenal’s skipper, he can remain higher up the pitch to influence proceedings in the final third. This was already on display in Sunday’s Community Shield, with Odegaard breaking into the box on multiple occasions to make things happen.

However, Guimaraes will also provide value himself in advanced areas. He finished last season with nine goals and seven assists across all competitions, and his underlying numbers in this area were also impressive, as shown in the table below. Possessing dangerous attacking instincts and the ability to play a penetrative pass in the final third, expect Guimaraes’ arrival to make Arsenal a lot more threatening.

Myles Lewis-Skelly

Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

Like White, Myles Lewis-Skelly was on the periphery of Arteta’s squad for much of last season. However, after unlocking him towards the end of the campaign in midfield, the teenager could play a hugely important role in 2026/27.

Reports suggesting he could be on his way out have been rubbished, and he’s set to remain in North London to fight for his position with Guimaraes and Declan Rice.

While he’s unlikely to pop up with decisive goals and assists like Guimaraes will, even if his exquisite pass for Riccardo Calafiori’s opener in the Community Shield suggests he can, he’s still likely to make a positive impact on how effective Arsenal are as an attacking unit.

When things got stale for Arteta’s team last season, they struggled to break through the opposition’s press and subsequently spent much of the game in their own defensive third. Lewis-Skelly is outstanding at eluding the first line of pressure, with his ability to turn his man and drive up the pitch not an attribute any of the Gunners’ other midfielders really possess.

Christos Tzolis

via Reuters

If Arsenal can’t secure another left-winger before the transfer window is up, Christos Tzolis might end up playing a prominent role for Arteta in 2026/27. The Greek, who arrived from Club Brugge for just £34million this summer, was outstanding in pre-season, acclimating into his new team well.

Last term, Arsenal lacked players who made the right decision at the critical moment in the final third. The likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and even Leandro Trossard frustrated in this aspect of the game. Decision-making is Tzolis’ speciality.

Time and time again, the 24-year-old will play the right pass or take the right shot at the right time. This is how he has been so productive in his last three seasons, and there’s no reason why this won’t continue at a higher level.

All Statistics via FotMob – correct as of 18/08/2026

Manchester United were backed to be the busiest Premier League club this summer, but with just four days until their opener against Hull City, they have been the quietest.

David Ornstein was among the high-profile transfer experts who predicted United would be the most active in this transfer window. His analysis made perfect sense given Casemiro‘s exit, Michael Carrick’s appointment, and a return to the UEFA Champions League.

INEOS had made a promising start to one of the most important windows in the club’s history. Here was the chance to return to the title picture following Pep Guardiola’s departure, with the playing field even among the challengers looking to rival defending champions Arsenal.

Carrick has been let down by a poor summer of business, with just two new players, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, arriving. As such, there are five reasons why the club’s hesitation to spend will come back to haunt them.

Not Moving For Lewis Hall Early

A new left-back seemed an obvious priority for United despite Luke Shaw’s availability last season. While the Englishman played every single Premier League game, at 31 he isn’t getting any younger and needs better competition.

Lewis Hall was on most fans’ lips even before the window opened, but it took INEOS until early August to officially make their interest in the Newcastle United star known. They decided to explore a deal for the former Chelsea star at a time when the St James’ Park outfit had raised huge funds from the sales of Sandro Tonali (£100m), Bruno Guimaraes (£75m) and Anthony Gordon (£69.3m).

Why United thought it wise to wait so long to pursue Hall is difficult to understand, and they were quickly informed that the Magpies have no intention to sell. That might not have been the case had they swooped before Guimaraes moved to Arsenal and Tonali headed to Tottenham Hotspur.

No New Sesko Backup

Another position screaming out for new blood is up front, where Benjamin Sesko doesn’t have a reliable supporting act. Serie A-linked Joshua Zirkzee has endured a disastrous run of form since joining United, and he has failed to impress in the Slovenian’s absence.

With many veteran forwards available throughout the summer, the fact that INEOS haven’t made a concrete move for a new number nine is puzzling. They might view Marcus Rashford as an option given he looks set to stay, but he blows hot and cold, and his preferred position is on the left wing.

Even moving for someone like Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson would make sense, albeit at a high price. But given the club have rarely spent this summer, why not pounce for the Senegalese star whose days at Stamford Bridge look numbered?

No £100M Signing

REUTERS/Chris Radburn

Manchester United are now the only club in the big six not to have spent £100m on a single player. As admirable as that is, it will ultimately leave them chasing their rivals for top talent if they don’t decide to flex their muscles and battle for the very best players in the world.

That’s not to say that the likes of Elliot Anderson and Morgan Rogers are worth over £100m, but that’s where the market is in today’s game. A player of Aurelien Tchouameni’s qualities, liked by the club and an obvious Casemiro replacement, made all sense to break the club’s transfer budget to bring to Old Trafford.

There’s not only been a reluctance to reach the £100m milestone, but also to pay the asking price for players they deem overpriced. It has been a criticism of the club in the past, but caution in a window meant to hand Carrick a squad to compete with is a real concern.

Continuing to Sell Poorly

While Chelsea receives astronomical fees for players who haven’t even touched the pitch for them, United struggles to offload first-team players for decent fees. Somehow, Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir are still contracted to the club as the goalkeeping flops have been sent out on loan rather than sold.

INEOS have been eager to get Rashford off their wage bill but Barcelona refused to meet their £26m asking price. That does feel like more than a reasonable fee, but suitors are evidently taking his huge salary into consideration.

United looked to move Manuel Ugarte on before the Uruguayan suffered an injury at the World Cup. Even then, they were asking for just over £20m for a player they signed for £50m two summers ago.

Not Going All in For Tchouameni

Sarah Meyssonnier Via Reuters

Arsenal signed Guimaraes, Tottenham signed Tonali, City signed Anderson, and before that Chelsea paid big for Moises Caicedo and likewise Liverpool for Dominik Szoboszlai. This United team is crying out for a world-class holding midfielder who can anchor the team for years to come.

Tchouameni fit the bill with his powerful profile and ability to get forward and help his team in transition. There’s a reason Real Madrid signed the Frenchman as Casemiro’s replacement back in the summer of 2022.

A potential deal for the 26-year-old felt like a real possibility once United conceded defeat to City in the race for Anderson. But INEOS haven’t made concrete efforts to bring him to Old Trafford, which is frustrating given that their rivals have all landed elite midfielders over the years

Newcastle United have reportedly discussed making a move to sign Brighton star Carlos Baleba ahead of Manchester United this summer.

The Magpies have brought in six new faces this summer with Ewen Jaouen and Lukas Hornicek bolstering their goalkeeper department, Amar Dedic strengthening the defence, Aladji Bamba and Seun Steur joining the midfield, and Bazoumana Toure adding to the attack, following the departures of Kieran Trippier, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, and Bruno Guimaraes.

But with the midfield additions being very young and inexperienced, new manager Matthias Jaissle is keen to add more top-level experience to the squad, and Baleba is someone who has emerged as a potential target.

According to a report by The Athletic, a move for the Cameroon international has been discussed internally at St James’ Park as they consider ways to replace their captain, as well as Tonali, before the transfer window closes on September 1st.

Jaissle is understood to also want to add some leadership to his group after a host of senior exits, but it remains unclear if the club feels that the 22-year-old can offer that immediately.

Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move to sign Baleba over the last 12 months, even agreeing personal terms with him last summer. But their interest this year has cooled due to Brighton’s reported demands, which has opened the door for Newcastle to potentially swoop and get a deal done under their noses.

It has been reported elsewhere that Brighton could be open to a deal worth around £65m this summer, and Newcastle have the cash to make it happen if they wish to proceed at that price, having brought in over £240m in sales.

The Toon have also shown a strong interest in Bayern Munich star Joao Palhinha, with talks ongoing between the clubs, while they have also made an enquiry to RB Leipzig over a move for Nico Seiwald this summer.

‘Incredible’ Baleba Could Be Difference Maker

via Reuters

Baleba’s performances for Brighton have seen him attract the attention of some of the top clubs in recent transfer windows, and so it’s no surprise at all that the Seagulls want to keep him.

Newcastle know that right now his stock may have dropped a little, after a difficult season in which he struggled to find consistency in his form, but his ability is still clear and there for all to see.

Manager Fabian Hurzeler believes he will get back to his best, hailing his ‘incredible’ ability.

“Maybe it went a little bit too fast, there was a lot of rumours about him, he played an incredible season, but I always try to be humble with the players.”

Newcastle will know that they won’t get many opportunities to snatch Baleba ahead of their rivals, and this summer may be their last and only chance. If they can seal the deal it would be a true statement of intent, but also a game-changing signing for their season.