'He had his bags packed' - How six Arsenal deals fell apart, one collapsed at the 11th hour
Arsenal held extensive talks to sign six forwards on their shortlist but could not get the deals over the line, sources have told Football Insider.
Vinicius Junior, Julian Alvarez, Bradley Barcola, Morgan Rogers, Kenan Yildiz and Jeremy Monga were all top targets for the Premier League champions but ultimately moved elsewhere or stayed with their club.
Rogers came closest to joining Arsenal and was very keen on the potential move before Chelsea's intervention.
Indeed, sources say Rogers had his "bags packed" and was ready to complete the deal until a late Chelsea hijack.
Arsenal had been negotiating a deal with Aston Villa for the 24-year-old but were gazumped when Chelsea bid £117million - a figure that they were not prepared to match.
Funds were not an issue in pursuits for both Vinicius Jr and Alvarez, but both players ultimately opted against moves to the Premier League and have stayed at their respective clubs in Spain.
Sources insist that Mikel Arteta has been desperate to bolster his attack this summer, yet he has been left with even fewer options, with Christos Tzolis joining but Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli leaving.
Arsenal struggles to grow in attack continue
The left wing has been a position of concern for Arsenal for several years now, with yet another window having gone by without addressing it.
Trossard had been originally brought in as a rotation option for Martinelli, but had become the favoured option as the Brazilian struggled to recapture his best form.
Neither player managed to find consistent form last season, however, and it appeared that Arsenal would finally address the situation this summer.
Yet several sagas resulting in failure have left them even weaker on the left, with sources revealing to Football Insider that Eberechi Eze will be expected to support Tzolis.
Arsenal will hope that the likes of Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz can stay fit this season to close the gap, but there will be significant pressure on a permanent solution in January.
Transfer failure taints Arsenal window
On paper, Arsenal enjoyed a strong window. Tzolis looks to be a strong signing, and there is no arguing with the quality of Ezri Konsa and Bruno Guimaraes.
There was finally progress made on the selling front, too. The Gunners have been so often accused of being poor sellers, but brought in good money for Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, Christian Norgaard and Martinelli.
There has even been good activity in the academy, with exciting prospects like Andria Barishvili set to join the club in the coming months.
Still, the overriding feeling will be one of disappointment for Arteta. Once again, he has been left short in attack and without the superstar he has been craving.