31 May 2026 08:45 BST |
4 min read
Mikel Arteta has called on the Arsenal board to be “very ambitious” in the summer transfer window as his side look to bounce back from the heartbreaking defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.
The Gunners came up short in their brave quest to win Europe’s premier club competition for the first time in their history, losing 4-3 on penalties to Luis Enrique’s defending champions following a 1-1 draw in Budapest.
Arteta’s charges – who were unbeaten in this season’s Champions League heading into Saturday’s showpiece – were excellent an hour but they were eventually pegged back when an Ousmane Dembele penalty cancelled out Kai Havertz’s opener after just six minutes.
PSG LIFT THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TROPHY! 🏆
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 30, 2026
Cristhian Mosquera had the better of PSG winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia until the young defender brought down the Georgia star inside the penalty area, with Ballon d’Or holder Dembele making no mistake from 12 yards out.
In the wake of the crushing defeat, manager Arteta was quick to issue a major transfer plea to the Arsenal hierarchy as the club look to make the final step in the Champions League next season.
Addressing the media after the painful loss to PSG, the Spaniard said: “We’ll start to make some very important decisions if we want to reach another level.
“And we’re going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it, but it’s going to demand us to be very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”
Co-chair Josh Kroenke promised Arsenal will look to strengthen in the upcoming transfer window after Arteta ended the club’s 22-year wait to win the Premier League title earlier this month.
Kroenke said: “[In] our experience of winning things in the States, when you win something, the sun’s still going to come up the next day. You’ve got to get back to work and there are many teams trying to gain on you, including some historically great ones around the Premier League.
“We’re going to look to strengthen because we know teams around us are going to get better. If you’re not trying to continually evolve and improve, you’re standing still.”
Arsenal and Arteta earn huge windfall from historic 2025-26 season
The run to the Champions League final has provided a huge windfall for Arsenal, with the club earning €144.2million (£125m) in this season’s competition, according to The Athletic.
A separate report from the Express claims the north Londoners also earned €61.4m (£53.1m) for winning the Premier League, with Arteta hoping a large chunk of the club’s revenue will be made available for new additions.
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