Arsenal are trying to run two transfer windows at once, and 14th July made that balancing act harder rather than easier. On one hand, business and boardrooms: renewed contact with Atlético Madrid over Julián Álvarez, an agreement to sell Leandro Trossard, and a fifth summer signing for the women’s team. On the other, the World Cup delivered the day’s most uncomfortable headline, with William Saliba forced off injured as France’s run ended in Dallas.
None of it happened in isolation. Every one of these stories feeds into the same question hanging over Emirates Stadium: can Arteta reshape a title-winning squad while also managing the fallout from a gruelling international summer? Five weeks out from the Community Shield, the answer is still being written.
The pace of the day undersells how much is still unresolved. Arsenal have completed one senior arrival all summer — and it’s for the women’s team. They have agreed only one senior departure. Meanwhile two of the club’s biggest transfer targets, Álvarez and Bruno Guimarães, remain apart on price by a combined figure well into eight figures. With pre-season training now imminent, the question fans keep asking is simple: at what point does talk turn into a deal?
Who have Arsenal signed so far in summer 2026?
All of Arsenal’s confirmed senior business this summer has come on the women’s side. Lisa Baum’s permanent move from RB Leipzig was completed on 14th July, making the 19-year-old winger Renée Slegers’ fifth arrival of the window, following Georgia Stanway, Ona Batlle, Géraldine Reuteler and Selina Cerci. Every deal in that rebuild is broken down in full here. The men’s team has not yet completed a permanent signing this summer.
Who are Arsenal trying to sign this summer?
Julián Álvarez remains Mikel Arteta’s leading attacking target. Arsenal’s ownership made fresh direct contact with Atlético Madrid on 14th July, though Arsenal’s reported £90m ceiling still sits below Atlético’s demand of more than £100m for the Argentina international.
In midfield, Bruno Guimarães has told Newcastle he wants to join Arsenal, but Newcastle’s valuation is understood to sit closer to £100m against an initial Arsenal offer nearer £60m. And with Trossard’s exit now agreed, Arsenal are ready to accelerate interest in Christos Tzolis and Morgan Rogers as they look to refresh the left side of the attack.
Who have Arsenal sold or released?
Arsenal have agreed a permanent transfer of Leandro Trossard to Besiktas, with reports valuing the package at around £17m (€20m) including add-ons. The move is not yet complete — Trossard still needs to pass a medical in Istanbul — but it represents Arsenal’s first major outgoing of the summer and frees a route for a new left-sided attacker.
What happened to Arsenal’s World Cup contingent today?
Arsenal already knew they were guaranteed representation in Sunday’s World Cup final, with William Saliba’s France drawn against Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and David Raya’s Spain in Tuesday’s semi-final. The outcome, though, brought a scare rather than celebration for Arsenal supporters: Saliba was withdrawn injured after half an hour as Spain won 2-0 to reach the final, and the extent of the issue is still to be established.
It leaves Arteta monitoring one more fitness situation just as Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze were all confirmed fit for England’s semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday.
When do Arsenal return to pre-season action?
Arsenal’s pre-season builds towards the FA Community Shield against Manchester City at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on 16th August, before the Premier League title defence opens at home to Coventry on 21st August. That gives Arteta a little over a month to resolve the Álvarez and Guimarães situations, find a Trossard replacement, and assess Saliba’s fitness.
Summer 2026 Transfer Window Facts
| Player | Direction | Status (as of 14th July) | Reported fee/valuation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisa Baum | In (Women’s) | Completed | Undisclosed |
| Leandro Trossard | Out | Agreed, pending medical | ~£17m (€20m) |
| Julián Álvarez | In (target) | Talks ongoing, ownership-level contact | Arsenal ~£90m vs Atlético £100m+ |
| Bruno Guimarães | In (target) | Player keen, no formal bid yet | Arsenal ~£60m vs Newcastle ~£100m |
Has Arsenal completed a permanent men’s signing this summer? No. As of 14th July 2026, Arsenal’s only permanent arrival has been on the women’s side, and their one agreed departure is Leandro Trossard.
Is Julián Álvarez close to joining Arsenal? Not yet. Talks reached ownership level on 14th July, but a valuation gap of more than £10m remains unresolved.
Will William Saliba be fit for pre-season? Unclear. He was withdrawn injured during France’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain on 14th July, and the severity has not been confirmed.
When do Arsenal start the 2026/27 season? Arsenal face Manchester City in the Community Shield in Cardiff on 16th August, then open their Premier League campaign at home to Coventry on 21st August.
