The forgotten Arsenal player Mikel Arteta must replace this summer amid striker transfer plan

It is easy to get lost in the transfer soup that Arsenal will find themselves in this summer, with links galore as Andrea Berta gets to work overhauling the squad and Mikel Arteta insists on being backed so that come next season, he is not left short. However, within the calls for strikers and wingers, there are other nuanced pieces of the Arsenal puzzle that need to be addressed.

Arsenal’s season was impacted crucially by repetitive injury issues, and it left them without key players for extended periods across the side. While the squad was able to cope in some areas, others were hit more damagingly.

Jurrien Timber, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Jakub Kiwior covered the defensive line’s injuries to Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, and Gabriel Magalhaes. Perhaps the side had the greatest success here, but that has taken its toll.

Timber is set to undergo surgery, football.londonunderstands on an ankle problem he has been playing through while White recovers from knee surgery. While the issue is hoped not to impact on preseason plans, there are no guarantees.

Another, perhaps forgotten, defender has also been missing all season, and after knee surgery at the beginning of the year, he is expected to miss the rest of 2025, and there are no guarantees he will effectively return to the fold. Takehiro Tomiyasu was not spotted with the squad as they lapped the Emirates Stadium in a show of appreciation on Sunday.

His whereabouts are unknown but he is currently recovering from the aforementioned procedure. In the meantime, having a player come in this summer to help relieve more pressure on the defensive unit would be ideal.

Especially considering Kieran Tierney is leaving at the end of his deal, and there is a known interest in Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kiwior is linked with an exit in the window. Andrea Berta is sure to be kept busy across the forward line, but in defence, these issues need covering.

The club had shown interest in Dean Huijsen before his move was agreed with Real Madrid. While disappointing to miss out on the talented Spaniard, this is a clear sign the club appear to be planning on addressing the defence again this summer.

Jorrel Hato of Ajax has been a long-term target of Arsenal and reuniting him with Timber in the team would be quite the coup. Timber has been one of the best players in the league this season and in Europe at right-back, demonstrating that you can indeed sign top talent from the Eredivisie and transfer it over to the Premier League.