Could Arsenal’s quiet transfer window cost them the title? How past Premier League champions spent in January

With the 2026 winter window drawing shut on February 2, there has been much scrutiny over whether Arsenal’s inactivity in the market could yet undermine their title pursuit, particularly after sanctioning a pair of exits without welcoming a single new arrival.

Ethan Nwaneri has departed for Olympique Marseille on loan, while the North London club have also opted to cut their losses on Oleksandr Zinchenko, with the 2022 recruit completing a permanent switch to Ajax.

Fitness concerns surrounding Bukayo Saka, coupled with Mikel Merino’s recent setback, have only fuelled suggestions that reinforcements may be required, although the hierarchy can point to last summer’s lavish outlay as reasonable justification for restraint.

In excess of £250m was invested to secure seven additions, including Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and long-awaited centre-forward Viktor Gyokeres.

Even with certain arrivals yet to truly find their feet — Gyokeres especially — Mikel Arteta’s squad has broadly reaped the benefits of that spending spree, with their enhanced depth proving instrumental in keeping multiple ambitions alive across competitions.

Holding a reasonable advantage at the Premier League summit, Arsenal find themselves well-placed to bring a 22-year wait for top-flight silverware to an end, and here Sports Mole takes a look at whether their subdued winter-window business could, however, derail that charge, as well as how previous champions have navigated the January market.

Could Arsenal’s quiet window cost them the title?

While Arsenal hold a healthy cushion at the summit, there have been whispers of another late stumble, with supporters, rivals and pundits alike still drawing on past near-misses that have trailed the club’s modern journey.

Branded “bottlers” in some quarters, the North London outfit have come close in recent years only to finish runners-up on three consecutive occasions, the most painful setback arriving in 2022-23 when a five-point lead going into matchday 29 eventually slipped into Manchester City’s hands.

As a result, a six-point advantage at this stage is hardly beyond reach for chasing sides, particularly with plenty of fixtures still to be played, and there remains debate over whether performances have always mirrored their lofty standing.

Arteta’s men have profited significantly from set-piece efficiency, while a fair portion of their strikes has also stemmed from own goals, and several attacking players — Gyokeres included — are yet to consistently rediscover the cutting edge that once defined them.

Even so, the club have resisted the urge to enter the winter market, despite links with Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, choosing instead to favour financial caution and squad continuity over a quick fix.

Whether that restraint proves costly remains to be seen, but recent history offers encouragement, as a number of title winners have navigated January with little movement, hinting that Arsenal may not be veering off a successful path.

How past Premier League champions navigated the January transfer window

A look at champions over the past decade points more towards mid-season restraint than heavy spending, starting with Leicester City’s fairytale triumph in 2015-16, when relatively modest fees for Daniel Amartey and Demarai Gray gave little indication of what was to follow.

Chelsea lifted the crown the following year without making a single winter addition, while Manchester City’s £57m move for Aymeric Laporte in 2018 stands out as one of the few notable January splashes by an eventual winner.

Responsible for five of the next seven titles — including a historic four-peat — City largely avoided major mid-season recruitment thereafter, with Alvarez’s £14m deal in 2022 not strictly counting due to his later arrival.

Liverpool’s 2019-20 success featured only Takumi Minamino’s £7.25m signing, and their most recent triumph in 2024-25 also came without winter purchases, strengthening the view that patience often accompanies championship runs.

Taken together, the pattern suggests that big January spending is more the exception than the norm, and Arsenal themselves provide examples of that measured approach.

Arsenal’s winter activities in their Premier League title-winning seasons

Often viewed as a traditionalist in the transfer market, Arsene Wenger, however, showed selective decisiveness during one of the club’s golden chapters, most notably the Invincibles season of 2003-04 when Jose Antonio Reyes arrived from Sevilla for a then club-record £10.5m.

In contrast, the 1997-98 triumph came without any January additions, while the 2001-02 double season included only a low-profile arrival in Kolo Toure for £150k.

Those precedents serve as a gentle reminder that Arsenal’s present stance is not without historical backing, and as their pursuit of long-awaited silverware gathers momentum, a quiet winter window does not automatically signal a faltering title bid.