Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal Project Enters Its Deliver Now Stage

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal Project faces a season-defining game, and perhaps career defining game, on Wednesday against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League Semi-finals in Paris. Their season comes down to this: A win catapults Mikel Arteta into the Arsenal history books, making him just the second Arsenal manager to reach a UEFA Champions League final. A defeat, on the other hand, pokes significant holes in the Arteta project at Arsenal.

Reports flooded the French media over the weekend about Real Madrid’s interest in William Saliba. L’Equipe claimed that Madrid would test the waters with a bid in the summer transfer window. They would also be open to playing the waiting game and signing Saliba on a free transfer in 2027, as they did with David Alaba, Kylian Mbappe, and now Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano also confirmed these reports:

“Real Madrid are READY to move for William Saliba whenever they see an opening, whether it’s this summer, 2026, or 2027 for free. They LOVE him. Now, it’s up to Arsenal to offer a project to win titles, because Saliba wants to win titles.”

He’s saying, “Win or I’m gone.” This Saliba-Madrid saga shows that both sides are in contact and Madrid has certainly gotten encouragement from William Saliba’s entourage.

Arsenal fans can understand the 24-year-old’s situation. He’s been playing at a world-class level for over two years, playing every single game last season but has nothing to show. You risk losing this level of talent if you do not get over the line and win a major trophy. The Arsenal fans know this too well. Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas, and Robin Van Persie all left for greener pastures when it was clear Arsenal did not match their level of ambition to win major trophies.

Fan Frustration at Arteta’s Arsenal Project

The fans have been frustrated all season. A poor summer transfer window left the Gooners with no clear upgrade on their squad from the 2023/24 season. A far cry from the phase 5 Arsenal that was supposed to be the culmination of Mikel Arteta’s project at the Emirates. Former technical director Edu left for a bigger role at Nottingham Forest before the January transfer window, when there was a lull at the Emirates over that month.

It was that January transfer window that confirmed to many Arsenal had given up on the 2024/25 Premier League title. A feeble attempt at signing Ollie Watkins was thwarted by Aston Villa and to compound matters, their only fit striker, Kai Havertz, got a hamstring injury after the window closed. The anger was building and only a Champions League run could appease the moans and groans.

And here we are. A fairytale 5-1 win over European royalty, Real Madrid, got the fans dreaming of a first European Cup win for Arsenal, only for PSG to inflict a painful 1-0 loss at the Emirates in the Semis. Arsenal’s season will be defined on Wednesday and for some, a verdict on Arteta’s project at Arsenal.

It’s five years since Arteta took charge of Arsenal but the fans are still yet to see the final form of this project. There was always an expectation that Mikel’s Arsenal would end up being a free-flowing attacking side that plays with flair and two technical 8s roaming all over the pitch. What we have now is a side that relies on set pieces and physicality over the flair that was expected.

Tactical Issues

There are also tactical issues at the core of fans’ exasperation. Martin Ødegaard’s dip in form this season has created serious creativity issues on this side. Without the vertical passing of Thomas Partey, Arsenal struggled to escape the high press in their match against the Parisians. There is also frustration at the lack of freedom and dynamism around Arsenal’s attacks. Everything is too controlled and, at times, predictable.

The lack of a transition threat is something that has plagued Arsenal under Mikel Arteta. Arsenal presses well and wins the ball in good situations but doesn’t convert the situations into shots. It’s laughable how many times Arsenal have wasted good transition moments, Ødegaard guilty at times of slowing down play or running away from the goal to ‘maintain possession.’ On days when Saka is getting doubled up on or even tripled up, there is no one else to take on the burden and carry the attacks.

There are concerns over the squad building at Arsenal, especially in midfield. Despite his resurgence over the last months, Mikel Merino shouldn’t be a starter in Arsenal’s midfield. Thomas Partey’s contract expires at the end of the season and Jorginho has already agreed to terms with Flamengo for next season. There is a real opportunity for Arteta to restructure his midfield and get some much-needed dynamism that the old guard can’t provide.

Many, myself included, have some reservations about Mikel Arteta’s preferences in squad building. In a summer where Arsenal needed someone to progress the ball from the left midfield position, Mikel went ahead to get a physical box dominator who is good at what he does but doesn’t have the creativity or playmaking ability Arsenal needed. His use of his LCM (left centre midfielder) still angers me a bit. The lack of threat in the middle during attacks is so frustrating to watch. Arsenal needed creativity at LCM, pace, and transition threat out wide, but all we got was Sterling.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal project is at a crucial juncture. A loss against PSG cements what has felt like his worst season as Arsenal manager despite two 8th-place finishes in the past. It was supposed to be the title-winning season but the club wasn’t ambitious enough. Can they avoid a drop-off like this next season or will the wheels come off again?

On the other hand, win in Paris and have the possibility of ending a 21-year-old wait for a major trophy at the Emirates. It’s time to deliver!