Arsenal had a shortlist of no fewer than 21 players in the summer transfer window, a report has revealed, with the Gunners threatening to pull off some unbelievable moves in a bid to retain their Premier League crown.
Bruno Guimarães, Ezri Konsa, Illan Meslier and Christos Tzolis all came through the door at the Emirates, while Piero Hincapié’s loan from last season was also made permanent, although many were left feeling as though Arsenal missed an opportunity to get even stronger.
That likely stems from some of the massive names which Arsenal missed out on. Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior was a well-known target before he signed a new contract at the Bernabéu, while Morgan Rogers and Bradley Barcola were among those considered before moves to other rivals.
According to BBC Sport, a total of 21 players were in Arsenal’s sights heading into the summer.
Arsenal’s Summer Transfer Shortlist
| Player | Club | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Morgan Rogers | Aston Villa | Joined Chelsea |
| Bradley Barcola | PSG | Joined Liverpool |
| Kenan Yıldız | Juventus | No Deal |
| Yan Diomande | RB Leipzig | Joined Real Madrid |
| Nico Paz | Como | No Deal |
| Junior Kroupi | Bournemouth | No Deal |
| Elliot Anderson | Man City | Joined Man City |
| João Pedro | Chelsea | Signed New Contract |
| Vinícius Jr. | Real Madrid | Signed New Contract |
| Julián Alvarez | Atlético Madrid | Rejected |
| Malick Fofana | Lyon | Joined Sunderland |
| Sandro Tonali | Newcastle | Joined Tottenham |
| Alex Scott | Bournemouth | No Deal |
| Amadou Onana | Aston Villa | Suffered Serious Injury |
| Jeremy Monga | Leicester | Joined Man City |
| Louis Page | Leicester | No Deal |
| Iván Fresneda | Sporting CP | No Deal |
| Cristian Romero | Tottenham | Joined Atlético Madrid |
| Micky van de Ven | Tottenham | Signed New Contract |
| Jacobo Ramón | Como | No Deal |
| Tarik Muharemović | Sassuolo | Joined Leeds |
The Biggest Surprises From Arsenal’s Transfer Shortlist
It was no secret that Arsenal wanted Rogers before he joined Chelsea, while Barcola and Juventus’ Kenan Yıldız were both seen as alternatives before the decision to focus on Vinícius Jr, whose uncertain contract situation left Arsenal feeling as though the biggest deal of the summer was a possibility.
Yan Diomande is another who was watched, but the winger wanted to join Real Madrid instead. Similarly, known interest in Atlético Madrid striker Julián Alvarez fell apart because of the Argentine international’s refusal to return to England.
That left Arsenal forced to consider even more alternatives, and few names on the list are as shocking as that of Chelsea striker João Pedro.
Pedro enjoyed a dazzling debut season at Stamford Bridge last season, racking up 20 goals and nine assists to establish himself as the team’s undisputed starter. Predictably, that form caught the eye of many across Europe—Barcelona were heavily linked before the Brazilian signed a new contract—but it seems as though Arsenal were keen to test their luck.
Just how far Arsenal progressed with their interest in Pedro is unclear. Chelsea have proven a recent willingness to negotiate with their London rivals, offloading Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga, but there was never any interest to see Pedro take the same route.
Scouts were busy across London as Arsenal explored deals for another pair of players from a fierce rival. Tottenham Hotspur’s defensive duo of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven entered their sights ahead of what would have been a truly shocking deal.
As it turned out, Spurs did not entertain a departure for Van de Ven, who was tied down to a new contract. They were eager to part ways with Romero, but an understandable reluctance to do business with a rival meant Arsenal never really stood a chance of being Atlético Madrid to his signature.
Crucially, however, Arsenal’s defensive priority was Konsa. An agreement with Aston Villa seemed unlikely heading towards the later stages of the window, which is why the Tottenham duo were looked at, but a $69 million deal to land Konsa was eventually struck late on.
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