‘Arsenal to sign Champions League veterans after PSG defeat’
Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain and a lack of know-how in the big occasions has been cited as one of the reasons for their failure in the semi-final tie.
The Ligue 1 champions put in a clinical second-leg display at the Parc des Princes, beating the Gunners 2-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.
Arsenal wasted a number of great opportunities to score throughout the ti, and individual mistakes at the back proved costly.
The defeat means that Mikel Arteta’s side will end yet another season trophyless, stretching their barren run to five years.
Fans will be expecting a couple of quality additions to Arteta’s squad in the summer transfer window in the hope that the North London side can finally get over the line in a major competition.
Arsenal so close to ‘being one of the best’
It’s another case of so close yet so far for the Gunners, as they fall short of a major trophy once again under Arteta.
They have produced Premier League title challenges in each of their last three campaigns, but each time have ultimately dropped away when it mattered.
| Season | League Position |
| 2024/25 | 2nd (currently) |
| 2023/24 | 2nd |
| 2022/23 | 2nd |
| 2021/22 | 5th |
Former Bayern Munich and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves believes that Arsenal must sign players who have experience of success if they want to win major trophies.
Speaking live on TNT Sports (7 May) Hargreaves said: “Arsenal are so close to being one of the best teams around, in the Premier League and Champions League, but they just need a little bit more.
“A bit more squad depth and players that have been there and done it, and then they can make the next step.
“Like you look at what Inter have, what PSG have, you look at Marquinhos.
“In all the teams I played in, we had a lot of experienced players, really experienced players that had been there and done it.”
Arsenal must get summer window right
Football Insider Verdict
It is no surprise that Arsenal fans are fuming with Mikel Arteta and the recruitment team, as it is another season where they have failed to address key problems within the squad.
Not only do they have a lack of winning experience, the Gunners are screaming out for a number nine, and have been for some time now.
Arsenal must address the centre forward problem in the summer if they want a realistic chance of winning the Premier League or any other trophy for that matter.
The spine of their team is strong but it is clear that they have become too reliant on the likes of Saka to get them out of a hole, and they need another goalscorer to shoulder some of the load.
Mikel Merino has done a good job of filling in after injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, but that is far from a long-term solution.
If Arteta and the Arsenal board aren’t strong enough in the transfer market, then the cycle will continue to repeat itself, and silverware won’t be won.