‘Arteta exposed by major exit blow as Arsenal lose more ground on rivals’
Arsenal have been rocked by a major departure which could see them lose ground on their Premier League rivals next season.
Arsenal fell short for the third season in a row last time out, as Liverpool won the title while they came second, akin to their finishes behind Manchester City in the two years previous.
Mikel Arteta appears to be trying to fix their striker problems this summer, with RB Leipzig hotshot Benjamin Sesko linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, while Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres is a Gunners’ target causing a split behind the scenes.
Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Real Madrid star Rodrygo, but on top of a lack of sealed incomings, a recent exit of a key man could well be indicative of another campaign of promise but ultimate disappointment at the Emirates Stadium.
Carlos Cuesta’s exit compounds slow Arsenal transfer window
Arsenal have been rocked by assistant coach Carlos Cuesta’s departure in the last few days, after The Times reported on Wednesday (18 June) that he was closing in on being appointed as head-coach of Serie A side Parma.
His exit was described as “a significant loss” to Arteta’s coaching team due to his highly-rated status as a coach, and Parma confirmed his move to the club a day later [Parma], while Cuesta then took to Instagram to pen a message to the Spaniard, calling him “an incredible coach” and “an incredible leader.”
Despite the good-willed nature of his exit, Arteta will undoubtedly be displeased at the move, and it feels like they are moving backwards right now when they needed to be decisive and busy in the transfer market to compete with Liverpool and Man City next season.
The Gunners’ supporters are likely to get restless with their lack of transfer activity before long, especially with title rivals Liverpool signing Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz in one of the biggest deals in English football history, with Milos Kerkez set to follow Jeremie Frimpong in at full-back, and Man City having spent over £100m already with numerous new faces through the door.
Football Insider recently revealed that Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta are at odds over which striker to sign this summer, amid links to Gyokeres and Sesko, and it feels like Arsenal are stalling in what is probably the most important transfer window of the 43-year-old’s tenure so far.
Arteta’s job could well be at risk next season too, and the departure of Cuesta only increases the likelihood of him being sacked in the middle of the campaign if things do not go Arsenal’s way in terms of competing for trophies on a domestic and European level.
Arsenal’s failed pursuit of Marc Guehi is a damning indictment
Arsenal’s summer window is certainly not going to plan so far, with no new players signed as yet despite Liverpool and Man City’s aforementioned respective spending sprees.
They are closing in on the signing of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi [The Athletic], but look to have been beaten to the capture of Crystal Palace and England centre-back Marc Guehi, who has been linked to a move to the Emirates Stadium but instead wants to join Liverpool.
Football Insider revealed on 20 June that Guehi wants to join Liverpool to compete for the top prizes under Arne Slot, and former scout Mick Brown has also told Football Insider that Guehi is prepared to snub interest from Arsenal if he is not given assurances over his playing time.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 155 | 8 | 4 |
That rebuff is a clear indication of where the Gunners are at right now, with in-demand players unsure of joining while their title rivals make major moves in the transfer market.
Arteta needs to get his ducks in a row as soon as possible, as he is at genuine risk of losing his job next season if Arsenal struggle to compete for trophies, and he also needs to make a key appointment off the pitch to replace the outgoing Cuesta ahead of the new campaign.
Fans would have expected a decisive response to another trophy-less near miss last term but so far the operation appears to be losing ground and key members.