Mikel Arteta's biggest weakness gets exposed if you look at Arsenal's last seven transfer windows

Mikel Arteta has got more right than wrong during his time at Arsenal.

The Spaniard replaced Unai Emery in December 2019, when the Gunners were in a terrible position on and off the pitch.

Arteta had to rebuild the squad from scratch, and he has done so magnificently. That helped him win the Premier League title last season.

Despite that, there is one problem that the Arsenal manager has not been able to rectify, and the last seven transfer windows prove it.

Arsenal’s attacking signings in the last seven transfer windows highlight Mikel Arteta’s biggest weakness

When you look at Arsenal’s squad, there are top-class players everywhere.

David Raya is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, the defence is absolutely world-class, and the midfield following Bruno Guimaraes’ arrival is on the same level.

However, the attack has to be Arsenal’s weakest area of the pitch.

Yes, Bukayo Saka is fantastic, Christos Tzolis has started really well, and Kai Havertz is extremely important in Mikel Arteta’s system.

But Arsenal’s recruitment to strengthen their frontline has let them down, and this has been the case for a long, long time.

Just look at the last seven transfer windows, for example, including the current one.

The only forwards – strikers and wingers – Arsenal have signed since the summer of 2023 have been Raheem Sterling, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and now Tzolis.

You could add Havertz to that list too, but he was originally brought in as an attacking midfielder.

Sterling was a disaster, Gyokeres still divides opinion, Madueke has not lived up to his price tag, and Tzolis has only just arrived.

Just those players to strengthen the attack in seven transfer windows is completely unacceptable.

Yes, Arteta deserves enormous credit for winning the Premier League with such little help in terms of attacking reinforcements, but he deserves a part of the blame too.

As good as his recruitment has been in other areas of the pitch, his eye for talent in the frontline seems to be his biggest weakness.

The Arsenal boss has four days left in the transfer window to correct that. Signing Julian Alvarez would be a step in the right direction.