Upgrade on Gyokeres? Arsenal tipped to strengthen in two areas after CL final defeat

Paris Saint-Germain v Arsenal FC - UEFA Champions League Final 2026

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has urged Mikel Arteta to be ruthless in the transfer market following the club's heartbreaking Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Despite clinching the Premier League title, a 4-3 penalty shootout loss to the French giants in Budapest has sparked predictions of fresh reinforcements, with questions raised over whether the Gunners need an upgrade on new signing Viktor Gyokeres.

Keown calls for attacking reinforcements

In the wake of the shootout loss at the Puskas Arena, Keown has identified the frontline as the primary area for improvement. The former defender believes that while the current squad has performed admirably to end their 22-year domestic title drought, the gap to Europe's elite requires further investment in high-quality game-changers.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Keown singled out two specific positions where he feels the Gunners need to upgrade. "They may look again at the striker. Kai Havertz played 90 minutes tonight but it’s only the second full game he’s finished in 18 months. With Viktor Gyokeres, it was a difficult night for him, so that could be an area Arsenal look at. Maybe left-wing as well. Mikel Arteta will strengthen, there’s no doubt about that," he explained.

Paris Saint-Germain v Arsenal FC - UEFA Champions League Final 2026

Struggles for Gyokeres

The spotlight has indeed fallen heavily on Gyokeres, who arrived in a £64m deal last summer but has endured a mixed debut campaign at the Emirates Stadium. The Swedish international was notably dropped for the biggest game in the club's recent history, highlighting a potential lack of trust from the manager in high-stakes moments. While Havertz found the net in Budapest, his ongoing fitness issues have restricted him to just seven Premier League starts this term.

Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard echoed Keown's sentiments regarding the depth of the squad. "I think they have to," Gerrard added. "This was Arsenal’s 63rd game of the season. You need more than one top striker, you might even need more than two. You need to keep refreshing, you fix the roof when the sun’s shining. Arsenal are in a magnificent place, a magnificent place. But the level and the amount of games means you have to keep adding to it and moving players on who have hit their ceiling or look like they’re in decline."

Arteta demands summer ambition

Arteta appears to be in agreement with the need for fresh blood, calling on the Arsenal hierarchy to be "very smart" and to "show ambition" during the upcoming window. The Spaniard conceded that PSG are currently the best team in the world after the Gunners were limited to just 24.7% possession during the final.

"We [will] start to make some very important decisions if we want to reach another level," Arteta told reporters. "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 to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart."

Paris Saint-Germain v Arsenal FC - UEFA Champions League Final 2026

Processing the penalty pain

The defeat was made all the more bitter by the nature of the shootout, with Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both failing to convert from the 12 yards. Despite the disappointment, Declan Rice was quick to offer his support to his teammates, noting that without their contributions, the club would not have secured the Premier League trophy earlier this month.

"To miss a penalty in a Champions League final, obviously it’s not nice," Rice said. "But we love them and we’re with them. It happens in football. They’re not going to be the last players to miss penalties in finals. Everyone has missed a penalty and without those two this season we wouldn’t have won the Premier League, that’s for sure. Gabriel, I’ve run out of words for him as a person and as a player. Eze has scored some crucial goals for us this season. It happens. It’s football and it’s cruel. We take the positives and keep going."