The forgotten Arsenal transfer Andrea Berta must get right after £165m commitment

Arsenal need to ensure they add a full-back this summer after major investment has not yet completed the squad

Arsenal are determined to sign several key offensive players during the summer window to better equip manager Mikel Arteta with a greater group of options. Several huge names have featured so far, including Morgan Rogers, Bradley Barcola, Julian Alvarez and Eli Junior Kroupi.

There are ambitions to strengthen in midfield too, with Bruno Guimaraes the priority target despite ongoing challenges to find a middle ground with Newcastle, with a first official bid still yet to be submitted. However, there remains a key area sporting director must ensure is addressed.

The situation at full-back has been grave for Arsenal for some time. Not due to a lack of quality, but rather to a lack of attendance due to injury.

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After signing Riccardo Calafiori for £42million, Piero Hincapie for £34.5million, Ben White for £50million and Jurrien Timber for £38.5million the club have spent a total of £165million on their four current full-back options. Myles Lewis-Skelly has also played plenty at left-back, and Cristhian Mosquera has covered at right-back, but both see their futures with the club in central midfield and centre-back, respectively.

However, all four full-backs mentioned have suffered from injury issues. All four, since the start of the 2025/26 season, have missed a combined total of 341 days through injury.

These have come about due to 13 separate injury-related problems in the space of a year. Arsenal have to face the music; they have great depth on either flank, but have four players who are serially absent.

White and Timber are both out now and missed out on participation at their respective nations' World Cup campaigns. Both would have even been starting for England and the Netherlands, too, based on how the tournament has played out.

White could yet be sold this summer with reported interest from Everton, while football.london is aware there is also interest from the continent, but any club will need to be willing to invest in a player whose fitness is an issue. Regardless, Arsenal need to address these areas.

Mikel Arteta has been particularly keen on versatile options who can play on both flanks. Jurrien Timber has played in all four positions in the Arsenal back line, while White has played centre-half and right-back during his time, the same as new boy Mosquera.

Takehiro Tomiyasu, another regularly injured full-back, was famous for being a right-back who locked down Mohamed Salah when tasked with playing left-back. The club were keen on Nathaniel Brown, although Bayern Munich moved in quickly this summer and snapped up the German international.

There are alternatives with Uruguay’s Maxi Araujo and Andrein Truffert of Bournemouth garnering plenty of plaudits last season. However, while Arsenal have been monitoring many players, neither player has yet been determined to be of serious interest to The Gunners, so far.

That could change with the attention very much on reinforcing the forward line and midfield. Full back is an area hoped not to be a problem for the start of the season, unlike other areas where key players could yet be missing after a late return from the World Cup.

Another reason why the focus remains in these areas this summer. Every summer under Arteta, the club have, like with goalkeepers, signed a full-back, and so the hope is, for the sixth summer running, one is not forgotten about again.

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