Arsenal's cautious summer leaves them exposed if injuries strike

The transfer window's done. The dust is settling. And while some Premier League clubs went absolutely mad with spending—one outfit signed 18 players, honestly—Arsenal played it safe. Maybe too safe.

They did decent work early on. Christos Tzolis, Bruno Guimarães, Ezri Konsa. Solid additions. But then things got messy. They chased Morgan Rogers before he went to Chelsea. Then they pivoted hard to Vinícius Júnior, only for him to sign a new contract at Real Madrid instead. Julián Alvarez from Atlético Madrid? He wasn't interested. By the final days of the window, Arsenal's main targets had either moved elsewhere or made it clear they weren't budging.

The real concern is what they didn't do. They let Gabriel Jesus leave for Barcelona and shipped out Ethan Nwaneri to Borussia Dortmund. If Gabriel Martinelli completes his expected move to Al-Hilal—the Saudi league's still buying—Arsenal's attack gets thinner. Way thinner.

So here's the worry: Mikel Arteta's squad relies heavily on a few key attackers staying fit. One or two muscle injuries and suddenly the forwards room looks understaffed. They've got options, sure, but not the depth you'd want if things go sideways in January or February. That's when squads get tested, and Arsenal just chose to keep their wallet closed instead of reinforcing the attacking line.

It's a gamble. Could work out fine if everyone stays healthy. Could also look like a huge mistake by March.