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Arsenal have already had a tough start to the transfer window, with one club in particular looking bullish and hoovering up potential targets.
The Gunners’ season is not yet even over, with Saturday’s Champions League Final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest still to come.
But, nevertheless, few things move quicker than the summer transfer market, and evidence suggests they could already be getting left behind.
Barcelona are already running away with the transfer window
According to a report from AS, the Catalan club are considering an offer for Brazilian wonderkid Gabriel Veneno, a 16-year-old winger who could cost as much as €20m, if current club Atletico Mineiro hold out for their asking price.
Veneno has been likened elsewhere to Neymar Jr – a hero in Brazil and also for his exploits for Barca – and Arsenal are said to have been considering a move last year which, as yet, has not materialised.
Mais um pouco do 2026 de Gabriel Veneno👀🎥nzoscore pic.twitter.com/D10IW8Akr5May 9, 2026
Much closer to home, the Gunners were also at one stage believed to have an advantage in the race for Anthony Gordon, with the 25-year-old reported by SunSport to prefer a move to London over any other city.
Unless, it transpires, that city is Barcelona, as the former Everton winger has now travelled to Spotify Camp Nou for a medical, ahead of a reported £69.3m move to the LaLiga champions.
So, two Arsenal targets look Barca-bound. It can’t go on like this, can it? It can.
The tyres on Gordon’s jet had not yet met the tarmac of Catalonia before a report from The Athletic dropped, confirming that Hansi Flick’s side were in talks with Atletico Madrid for striker Julian Alvarez, in a proposed €100m deal.
The former Manchester City forward is said to be admired by those at Arsenal, who have been rotating between Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres this season.
It’s been a whirlwind few days for Arsenal in terms of transfer targets, with more crossed out than ticked off, but, in FourFourTwo’s opinion, there is no cause for panic just yet.
They already have a strong squad, with strength in depth and few ageing stars – as shown in their Premier League triumph – so there is no need for knee-jerk reactions in the market, especially not before a Champions League Final, for which transfer tales could prove unsettling to the squad.
That means the Gunners have the luxury of time on their side, and the ability to pick out candidates who will add quality to their squad, rather than scrapping to fill gaps.
Gordon is valued at €60m, according to Transfermarkt, while Alvarez is estimated to be worth €90m.
