Arsenal Vow to Become ‘Best Club in the World’ as Arteta and Garlick Outline Transfer Plan

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal’s ambition stretches well beyond defending their Premier League title, declaring the club’s goal is nothing less than becoming “the best club in the world.” Speaking to Sky Sports at a Premier League launch event ahead of Friday’s season opener against Coventry, Arteta laid out what he believes it will take to get there, while chief executive Richard Garlick used the same platform to explain why the club’s recruitment strategy has shifted now that they have won the title.

“You Need the Best Squad and the Best Players in the World”

Arsenal lifted the Premier League trophy last season for the first time in 22 years, and Arteta made clear he sees it as a floor rather than a ceiling. “It’s certainly the ambition of the club and the owners to be the best club in the world,” he said. “In order to do that, you need the best facilities, the best stadium, the best supporters, and you need the best squad and the best players in the world.”

“Those are the ones that win you football matches and the ones that can be decisive when it matters,” Arteta said. “That’s what we try to build with the actual players that we have, and with the players that we want to sign to make the difference for Arsenal.”

Comfortable as the Favorites

Arsenal go into the new season as outright favorites to retain their title, a status reinforced by a 3-0 win over Manchester City in Sunday’s Community Shield at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Arsenal shocked City and new manager Enzo Maresca inside 23 seconds when Riccardo Calafiori converted a pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly, before £34m summer signing Christos Tzolis set up Kai Havertz to head in a second and later teed up captain Martin Odegaard to make it three just after halftime. Arteta said he is entirely comfortable carrying the favorites tag into the campaign.

“I think this is part of our industry, and that’s OK,” he said. “For me, it’s when I look into the eyes of my players and I see that fire, that desire and the will to be better every single day. That’s the only thing that I care about.”

Arsenal have not defended the top-flight title in more than three decades, a piece of history Arteta was asked about directly. “That’s an opportunity that we have ahead, and we are very conscious of what it’s going to take to deliver that,” he said. “But I feel the ambition, I feel the desire, and I feel the ability and the conviction around the team that we can do it.”

Respect for the Man City Successor

Arteta had also used the buildup to the Community Shield to praise Maresca, who took over at City this summer following Pep Guardiola’s departure after a decade in charge. “Now it’s Enzo, who is as good as Guardiola, because I know him well,” Arteta said of his opposite number heading into the Cardiff meeting. Maresca had vowed to “close the gap” on the champions before kickoff, but it was Arsenal who delivered the statement result, leaving Maresca facing early questions about the scale of the rebuilding job in front of him.

Garlick: New Signings Need to “Change the Dial”

Arsenal have already spent £143.5m on four summer signings, including the permanent arrival of defender Piero Hincapie following his loan spell last season, and a £34m move for winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, who arrived as a replacement for Leandro Trossard and set up two of the three Community Shield goals on his first appearance in the fixture. Chief executive Richard Garlick made clear the club’s recruitment bar has been raised now that they are champions.

“It’s players that are going to take Arsenal forward,” Garlick said of the club’s targets. “In the past we’ve looked at players that maybe helped build out the squad or get us to a certain level, but now we’re competing right at the top level, and we do need to bring in players that are going to change the dial. That might be younger players that come into your squad and give them time to develop, and you’ve seen that in the last couple of years at Arsenal, and if we’re able to combine those players that are coming through the academy with some of the best players in the world then we’ve got every chance of maintaining that success and going beyond what we’ve already achieved.”

Arsenal missed out on a marquee forward signing this summer after Vinicius Junior signed a new contract at Real Madrid, ending their interest. The club remain keen on Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez and have also been linked with Victor Osimhen as they look for a statement addition up front.

No Standing Still

Asked whether there is still room to spend before the window closes, Garlick was unequivocal. “We said at the start of this season we’re about to embark on that we’re not going to stand still and pat ourselves on the back and say, ‘Well done, job done, nothing else to do’,” he said. “We want to move forward, the best clubs are always moving forward.”

“You can see we’ve already invested in the squad this season, and if the right opportunity arises, then we will look to strengthen in all areas,” Garlick continued. “The window’s open for the next couple of weeks, and if there are players that are going to come in and move Arsenal forward, then we will look at that.”

He acknowledged the search has grown harder precisely due to what Arsenal achieved last season. “The standard now is high, though, the bar’s been set winning the Premier League title and getting to the Champions League final,” Garlick said. “We’re probably fishing in a smaller pool of quality players, and that means that it’s tricky to land those players that are going to drive Arsenal forward. But if the right opportunity presents itself, we’ll certainly be exploring it.”

Where Arsenal Could Still Strengthen

With William Saliba facing an extended spell out through injury, Arsenal have held talks over potential deals for England internationals Ezri Konsa and Jarell Quansah as cover at the back. Both share a similar profile and can play at center-back or right-back, though neither deal looks simple to complete. Aston Villa want £60m for Konsa, a figure well above what Arsenal have been willing to pay, while Bayer Leverkusen do not currently want to sell Quansah.

Arsenal’s dominant Community Shield win over Manchester City underlined why they remain the team to beat heading into the new campaign, but between Arteta’s declared ambition and Garlick’s insistence on continued investment, the club’s own message is clear: winning the title once was the target, and staying on top is now the job.

Arsenal open their title defense at home to Coventry on Friday night, live on Sky Sports, against a side returning to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years. It is a fixture Arsenal will be expected to win comfortably, but Arteta’s comments this week suggest the club’s real measuring stick this season has little to do with newly promoted opponents and everything to do with whether they can turn one Premier League title into the start of a period of genuine dominance.