Arsenal transfer news: Mikel Arteta on need to "evolve" as Vinicius Junior and Bruno Guimaraes frustration grows

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has reiterated that the club are busy trying to complete transfers amidst outside criticism of their business so far.

The Gunners will play Girona in a pre-season friendly on August 1, with their 2026-27 campaign set to begin on August 16 against Manchester City in the Community Shield.

While the Londoners will be seen as favourites for a number of honours next term, they have completed frustratingly little transfer business.

Supporters have grown restless in recent days, especially after Morgan Rogers opted to join Chelsea earlier this month.

However, Arteta insisted that work is being completed behind the scenes, telling reporters: "A lot is happening. We all know about the context of this transfer window.

"From ownership to the board, the sporting director and myself, we know that we want to take this club to a different level. That is going to require a better squad, better individuals.

"We have identified where we have opportunities to grow and to improve and to evolve our game and what is going to be needed to achieve that. ‌Hopefully very soon we can start to put things in a very concrete way."

Arsenal's only major signing this summer has been Christos Tzolis, who may be used in a backup role should the club sign a starting winger.

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Vinicius Junior and Bruno Guimaraes: The key to the Premier League

The two players currently at the forefront of transfer rumours involving Arsenal are Vinicius Junior and Bruno Guimaraes, and both would be phenomenal additions.

Vinicius Junior would arguably be the best winger in the Premier League immediately, and he would offer Arteta a level of creativity and goal threat that nobody in his squad can currently match.

The Gunners were at times rigid last season, so if they are to maximise a signing like Vinicius Junior, they would need a creative passer from deep.

Newcastle United star Guimaraes fits that description, and he would provide Arsenal with a profile they have missed ever since the sale of Granit Xhaka in 2023.

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Premier League title race: Mikel Arteta at risk next season?

Arsenal will only play two Premier League games before deadline day on September 1, so there is still time to minimise the amount of points they might drop due to gaps in their squad.

However, if the likes of Guimaraes or Vinicius Junior arrive late in the window, there is no guarantee that they will be ready immediately given they may require an adaptation period.

A slow start to the Premier League season could be catastrophic, especially considering the Londoners already know they will be without centre-back William Saliba for months.

Quick resolutions this summer could keep Arsenal close to first place heading into the winter period, but failure to land the right targets at the right time will almost certainly make retaining the title a significant challenge.