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Arsenal missed out on Morgan Rogers, Vinicius Junior, and Sandro Tonali, but are close to signing Bruno Guimaraes.

Arsenal's preparations to defend their Premier League title have been a mixed bag. The club confirmed the permanent signing of Piero Incapie, welcomed goalkeeper Illan Meslier, and added 24-year-old winger Christos Tsolis to their ranks. However, Mikel Arteta's side has encountered notable failures in their attempts to secure several star players.

Three missed transfer targets

  • Morgan Rogers — Arsenal engaged in lengthy negotiations with Aston Villa, aiming to close a deal worth $108 million (£80 million). However, Chelsea entered the fray, offering $157.5 million (£117 million). The Gunners opted not to match that offer, leading Rogers to London, where he described the Blues as the "biggest club in London".
  • Vinicius Junior — The Gunners attempted to exploit a pause in the winger's contract negotiations with Real Madrid. Ultimately, Vinicius used Arsenal's interest as leverage, resulting in him extending his deal with the Spanish giants.
  • Sandro Tonali — Arsenal explored the possibility of signing the Italian midfielder but ultimately lost out to Tottenham Hotspur, who forked out $134.5 million (£100 million) to Newcastle United. The influence of Spurs' manager Roberto De Zerbi was a key factor in that transfer.

Who will be the next transfer target?

As a consolation for Gunners fans, the club is nearing a deal with Newcastle United for Bruno Guimaraes, with his official transition in the final stages.

Nonetheless, with the departure of Leandro Trossard to Besiktas, the position on the left flank remains open:

  • Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain) — The player is leaning towards a move to Liverpool, who have made the Frenchman a priority target.
  • Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid) — He sits high on Mikel Arteta's wishlist. However, he is a main target for Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid is not keen on letting him go.
  • Alternative options — Arsenal are also keeping an eye on the situations surrounding Rafael Leao from AC Milan and Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao.