Fresh off their spectacular 2025/26 Premier League title triumph over fierce rivals Manchester City at the weekend, Arsenal have already received a strong warning from Manchester United legend Gary Neville regarding their summer transfer business.
While the red half of North London continues to celebrate a historic domestic campaign alongside an upcoming appearance in the UEFA Champions League final, Neville insists that manager Mikel Arteta cannot afford to become complacent.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Gary Neville Podcast, the prominent Sky Sports pundit outlined exactly where the newly crowned English champions need to strengthen if they want to retain their crown next season.
Strengthening the Spine: A New Striker and Midfielder Required
Despite the squad’s incredible consistency, Neville pointed out two critical depth areas where the Gunners remain vulnerable: the center-forward position and the heart of the midfield.
Specifically, Neville noted that Arsenal must recruit a high-caliber backup striker to ease the goalscoring burden on Swedish sensation Viktor Gyökeres, as well as an elite central midfielder to provide essential cover for the midfield pivot of Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi.
“Arsenal will need to add again [in the transfer market], but at this point, right now, when they have won the title and got a Champions League final, I don’t want to focus on that,” Neville admitted.
“We will start to think about those things nearer the time, and do they need another centre forward as back-up to Viktor Gyökeres? Do they need another central midfielder in case Declan Rice or Martin Zubimendi aren’t quite there?”
Sustaining Domestic and European Dominance
Arsenal’s current squad depth has proved robust enough to break Manchester City’s stranglehold on the Premier League trophy. However, the grueling demands of a revamped Champions League schedule mean elite reinforcement is non-negotiable.
While acknowledging the undeniable talent currently at Emirates Stadium, Neville concluded that a couple of strategic summer signings will elevate Arsenal from one-time champions to a true European dynasty.
“There are probably a couple of positions that Arsenal will still want to think about, but they have got a lot of strength in that squad.”
