The 10 Arsenal transfer targets Mikel Arteta will cast his eye over at the World Cup

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wants new signings after losing the Champions League final, with 10 World Cup 2026 stars linked with Emirates moves this summer

Mikel Arteta delivered a clear message to the Arsenal hierarchy following the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The Gunners came heartbreakingly close to dethroning the reigning European champions in Budapest last weekend.

They fought to a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes but were denied their first Champions League trophy after Gabriel Magalhaes blazed the fifth and final penalty over the bar in a nail-biting shootout.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, Arteta was brutally honest when identifying the key difference between his side and Luis Enrique’s PSG, arguing that the French champions boast game-changing individuals in attacking areas.

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The Arsenal boss suggested that club chiefs would need to act quickly in the upcoming summer transfer window to bridge the gap between themselves and their European rivals.

He began by saying: “[We need] to improve and reach a different level, because it would demand a different level with the quality around Europe [to reach another final].”

Arteta added when asked whether he’ll look to emulate PSG’s style of play in the future: “Yes and the individual action that they have for sure. I will take a few days off with my family and then we will all start the process to review what we’ve done.

“We’ll start to make some very important decisions. We want to reach another level. We’re going to have to show that ambition because they are more than capable of doing it but it’s going to demand us to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”

The Kroenke ownership’s record-breaking outlay of over £250million last summer was vindicated by the club’s first Premier League title in 22 years this season. Arteta’s wishes could well be fulfilled given that Josh Kroenke has now experienced the taste of footballing glory, and the American’s recent comments suggest Arsenal could potentially exceed last summer’s spending in the months ahead.

The World Cup 2026 will feature some of the players that have recently been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, presenting Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta the opportunity to get one final look at their top transfer targets. With that in mind, here’s a list of all previously linked Arsenal transfer targets in action at this summer’s highly anticipated tournament.

10 players at the World Cup linked with an Arsenal transfer:

Tino Livramento (England – Newcastle)

Nathaniel Brown (Germany – Frankfurt)

Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco – Lille)

Morgan Rogers (England – Aston Villa)

Rafael Leao (Portugal – AC Milan)

Bradley Barcola (France – Paris Saint-Germain)

Marcus Rashford (England – Manchester United)

Kenan Yildiz (Turkey – Juventus)

Nico Williams (Spain – Athletic Club)

Julian Alvarez (Argentina – Atletico Madrid)