Arsenal’s 21-player summer shortlist included Vinicius Junior, Alvarez and Romero

Arsenal reportedly identified 21 transfer targets during the summer window, with Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez and Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero among the high-profile names on the club’s list.

The shortlist, revealed by the Daily Mail, shows the scale of Arsenal’s recruitment plans after a season in which they won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite those achievements, the club had no intention of standing still. Arsenal used the summer market to strengthen several areas of the squad, particularly after a serious injury to William Saliba increased the need for defensive reinforcements.

Vinicius Junior was one of the most prominent names linked with the Gunners. A possible move for the Brazil international dominated the transfer market for several weeks, although he ultimately remained at Real Madrid and renewed his contract.

Alongside Vinicius Junior, Arsenal’s reported targets included Julian Alvarez, Chelsea forward Joao Pedro, Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola and RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande. The reported value of those players had either exceeded or come close to €100m.

Arsenal were also active in reshaping their squad after several departures. Gabriel Martinelli moved to Al-Hilal, Leandro Trossard joined Besiktas and Gabriel Jesus signed for Barcelona. Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson also left, while Ethan Nwaneri moved to Borussia Dortmund on loan.

The London club completed what were described as several useful additions, despite spending less than a number of their direct rivals, including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Arsenal reportedly spent €87m on Bruno Guimaraes, €60m on Ezri Konsa and €40m on Christos Tzolis. Illan Meslier joined from Leeds United on a free transfer.

The full list of players reportedly considered by Arsenal was:

1. Morgan Rogers Aston Villa 2. Bradley Barcola Paris Saint-Germain 3. Kenan Yildiz Juventus 4. Yan Diomande RB Leipzig 5. Nico Paz Como 6. Eli Junior Kroupi Bournemouth 7. Elliot Anderson Nottingham Forest 8. Joao Pedro Chelsea 9. Vinicius Junior Real Madrid 10. Julian Alvarez Atletico Madrid 11. Malick Fofana Lyon 12. Sandro Tonali Newcastle United 13. Alex Scott Bournemouth 14. Amadou Onana Aston Villa 15. Jeremy Monga Leicester City 16. Louis Page Leicester City 17. Ivan Fresneda Sporting CP 18. Cristian Romero Tottenham Hotspur 19. Micky van de Ven Tottenham Hotspur 20. Jacobo Ramon Como 21. Tarik Muharemovic Sassuolo

The breadth of the list indicates that Arsenal explored options across attack, midfield and defence during the summer, including several of Europe’s most sought-after young players and established internationals.

Although Vinicius Junior and Alvarez were among the biggest names under consideration, the list also featured players from Premier League clubs and prospects viewed as longer-term additions. Ultimately, the reported targets formed part of a wider recruitment strategy rather than a record of completed transfers.