Winning the Premier League has not changed Mikel Arteta’s ambitions for Arsenal. If anything, it has made them bigger with them thriving for more titles.
After guiding Arsenal to their first league title in 22 years, since Arsene Wenger, Arteta now wants the club to build on that success and establish itself among football’s elite.
Arsenal begin the new season as defending champions, having also reached the Champions League final last term. It leaves Arteta with a different challenge. Improving a team that has already won the league is considerably harder than strengthening one still trying to catch its rivals.
Speaking before Arsenal’s Premier League opener against Coventry City, the newly promoted team, Arteta made it clear that those ambitions extend beyond English football.
“It’s certainly the ambition of the club and the owners to be the best club in the world,” Arteta told Sky Sports.
For Arteta, getting there is not simply about what happens on the pitch. He pointed to the stadium, training facilities and supporters as important parts of the club’s progress, but acknowledged that the quality of the squad ultimately decides the biggest matches.
Arsenal Continue to Invest After Title Success
Arsenal have not stood still this summer. The club have spent £143.5 million on four new players following their title-winning campaign. Christian Tzolis and Bruno Guimaraes are among the headline arrivals, while Piero Hincapie has completed a permanent move.
Arsenal have also looked at some of Europe’s biggest attacking names. Vinicius Junior, Victor Osimhen and Julian Alvarez have all been considered as the club assesses whether another major addition can improve Arteta’s attack.
The situation is very different from a few years ago. Arsenal are no longer building a squad simply to close the gap on Manchester City and the rest of the Premier League’s leading clubs. They are now aiming higher and maybe for securing all the titles possible this year.
A 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Community Shield only added to expectations ahead of the new campaign.
Arteta does not appear overly concerned about being labelled the favourite. His priority is making sure the squad has not lost the hunger that took it to the title last season. There is history at stake too.
Arsenal have not retained the English league title since Arsene Wenger’s team won consecutive championships in 1997/98 and 1998/99. More than a quarter of a century later, Arteta has an opportunity to repeat that achievement.
He sees it as something for his players to chase rather than something that should weigh on them.
Garlick: Arsenal Signings Must Raise the Level
Finding players who can improve this Arsenal team is becoming more difficult.
Chief executive Richard Garlick has spoken about the change in the club’s approach to recruitment. Arsenal are no longer looking to bring in players merely to increase squad numbers. New arrivals need to be capable of competing for places immediately.
Garlick said potential signings have to “change the dial”.
That significantly narrows the list of available players.
Arsenal looked into a possible move for Vinicius Junior before the Brazilian committed his future to Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez is another player the club admire, while Victor Osimhen has also been linked with a move to the Emirates.
Arsenal could still do business before the transfer window shuts. Garlick’s comments, however, suggest they will not make a signing simply because an opportunity is available.
Any new player has to offer something Arteta does not already have.
That is the consequence of Arsenal’s progress. A few seasons ago, there were several obvious positions to strengthen. After a Premier League title and a run to the Champions League final, those weaknesses are much harder to find.
Arsenal’s Defence Remains a Major Strength
Defence was one of the foundations of Arsenal’s title win.
Arteta’s team conceded only 27 goals across 38 Premier League matches and finished with the best defensive record in the division. They kept 19 clean sheets and conceded an average of just 0.71 goals per game. The back line contributed going forward as well. Arsenal scored 25 goals from corners across all competitions in 2025/26, including a Premier League-record 19 in the league. Gabriel Magalhães and Jurriën Timber scored three league goals each. William Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié added another goal apiece, taking Arsenal’s defenders to nine Premier League goals between them.
Timber also finished with five assists, while Gabriel provided four.
Those numbers underline why Arsenal’s defenders became such an important part of Arteta’s approach last season. The team were difficult to break down, dangerous at set pieces and capable of getting goals from several areas of the pitch.
There could still be another defensive arrival before the window closes.
William Saliba’s extended absence has left Arsenal considering whether more cover is required. England internationals Ezri Konsa and Jarell Quansah are among the names discussed.
Both would give Arteta options. They can play centrally and are also capable of covering at right-back. Neither, however, would be an easy deal to complete.
Arsenal are continuing to assess their attacking options as well.
A left-sided forward was initially one of the priorities going into the summer. Tzolis’ performances during pre-season may have changed the picture slightly, giving Arteta more room to decide where another attacking signing would have the greatest impact.
Sales Could Influence Arsenal’s Next Move
What happens with departures could determine how much more business Arsenal complete.
The club want to improve the amount of money generated through player sales, particularly after another summer of significant spending.
Gabriel Martinelli, Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus could attract interest if suitable offers arrive. The situation surrounding Myles Lewis-Skelly is less clear.
There is increased competition in midfield following the arrival of Guimaraes, which could have consequences for several members of Arteta’s squad.
Martin Zubimendi and Lewis-Skelly are among those facing greater competition for minutes. Arsenal spent £51 million on Zubimendi last summer, so any potential deal involving the midfielder would have to make sense financially.
Lewis-Skelly’s situation is different. As an academy graduate, a sale would be treated differently from an accounting perspective.
None of that changes Arteta’s immediate task.
Last season proved Arsenal can finish above the rest of the Premier League and go deep into the Champions League. The challenge is doing it again.
Retaining the league title would be another major step, particularly given how long Arsenal have waited to win consecutive championships. Going one step further in Europe would strengthen Arteta’s argument that the club is moving closer to the level he wants.
Winning one title ended a 22-year wait. The question this season is whether Arsenal can turn that breakthrough into something more lasting.
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The BW Game Hub Sports Analysis Unit covers major European leagues, international competitions and the global transfer market. Our reporting combines official club announcements, competition data, established news agencies and football-statistics providers. Transfer stories are checked against primary club sources wherever available, while statistical analysis uses recognised data sources such as Opta, FBref, league databases and official competition records. Where information has not been officially confirmed, BW Game Hub clearly identifies it as reported rather than confirmed.
