Arsenal’s ‘Berta window’ blueprint: Gyökeres, Eze, Hincapié prioritized as core stars lock in new deals

Arsenal’s recruitment plan for the upcoming window is taking sharp shape, with a targeted shortlist headlined by Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapié, plus depth additions including Noni Madueke, Christian Nørgaard, Yerson Mosquera and an experienced keeper in Kepa. Inside the club, a contract spree is also being teed up: Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly on five-year terms, Gabriel to 2029, William Saliba extended, Bukayo Saka next, and one more renewal under wraps. The strategy is aggressive, coherent and geared toward immediate gains in both the Premier League and Europe, signaling a squad built to dominate now and for the long haul.

Momentum around Arsenal’s next window has intensified as internal planning aligns with squad needs that have been mapped for months: a ruthless No.9, an all-phase creator, a left-footed defender comfortable in build-up, plus experienced depth in goal and defense. The recruitment team has prioritized profiles that mirror the manager’s possession-to-pressing blueprint and multi-zone control of matches. Parallel to incoming targets, the contract department has moved to ring-fence elite assets—both first-team pillars and elite Hale End prospects—ensuring continuity while the squad’s peak years are synchronized.

This combined approach—surgical signings and rapid renewals—reflects a club operating with clarity, speed, and a title-chasing mentality.

A Berta Transfer Window: - Kepa - Hincapie - Mosquera - Nørgaard - Madueke - Eze - Gyökeres - Nwaneri 5 year deal - MLS 5 year deal - Gabriel 2029 - Saliba 5 year deal - Saka ⏳ - One more new contract

@HandofArsenal

Impact Analysis

This plan is a statement of intent. Gyökeres immediately upgrades the No.9 slot with elite penalty-box instincts, back-to-goal security and ferocious pressing—precisely the vertical threat Arsenal have lacked in certain game states. Eze adds off-script creativity: a carrier who breaks compact blocks, links zones and finishes moves, giving the manager a true 8/10 hybrid to rotate with Odegaard and the left eight role. Hincapié, a left-footed defender comfortable stepping into midfield, unlocks asymmetrical build-up patterns, protects transitions and provides cover for left center-back and inverted full-back duties.

Depth signings are just as strategic. Madueke offers a left-footed, inside-cutting option to spell Saka without abandoning pressing triggers. Nørgaard brings leadership, aerial presence and a clean passing base as a rotation six, ensuring Rice can be used higher or protected in congested periods. Mosquera adds athletic recovery and high-upside depth for a back line that must absorb Premier League intensity and European knockout demands. An experienced keeper like Kepa stabilizes cup rotations and keeps training standards elevated alongside the current No.1.

Contractually, tying down Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly safeguards the club’s medium-term ceiling and resale value, while long-terms for Gabriel and Saliba keep Arsenal’s elite defensive axis intact. With Saka next and one more renewal brewing, the spine is secured. Net effect: reduced variance, superior rotation quality, and a squad architecture designed to win now while compounding advantages season over season.

Reaction

Fans are buzzing—and demanding clarity on the “one more” renewal. One supporter pleads for it to be the manager, reflecting how central the touchline project has become to the club’s identity. Another pushes for Timber, arguing he’s earned a reward after his seamless tactical fit and mentality. Speculation swirls around whether the mystery signature could be Kai or even the boss, while a chorus insists Declan Rice should be next to be tied down long-term.

On the transfer slate, the mood is bullish. Several fans call the business “10/10,” praising the coherence of a list that covers a killer No.9 (Gyökeres), a line-breaking creator (Eze) and structural security at the back (Hincapié). A pragmatic contingent asks what’s truly needed in January—some say only an LW upgrade—yet concede the squad feels the most complete in years. Skeptics poke fun at “fantasy football fever,” but they’re drowned out by those hailing the plan as a recruitment masterclass that some clubs couldn’t replicate in a decade.

Most common thread? A collective belief that if these signings and renewals land, Arsenal vault from contenders to pace-setters. The appetite for a decisive window is unmistakable.

Social reactions

Might be Kai or Arteta

Alan Jacob (@AlanJac27862831)

If Berta actually pulls all this off, unpopular opinion: it’s a bigger masterclass than some clubs’ entiredecades of “rebuilds"

Better CallBot (@CallBotCrypto)

What do we even need in january besides maybe an upgrade on LW? The team has never felt this complete before

25/26 UCL Winners (@heueudhdv)

Prediction

Expect Arsenal to press early for a marquee forward—Gyökeres remains the clearest path to instant impact and system fit. The club will test Sporting’s resolve with structured offers leaning on achievable add-ons and a favorable payment schedule, while player-side persuasion focuses on project clarity and guaranteed minutes across league and Europe. In parallel, expect talks with Crystal Palace for Eze to hinge on release mechanics and creative structuring, potentially deferring portions to preserve room for the No.9 move.

On defense, Hincapié is the left-footed priority. Arsenal will move decisively if a window opens—either via a release understanding or Leverkusen’s green light post-replacement. Depth moves—Kepa on a pragmatic deal, Mosquera as an athletic rotation piece, and a disciplined bid for Nørgaard—are primed for late-window efficiency, contingent on outgoings that streamline the wage bill.

Contract side, anticipate a rapid-fire sequence: confirmation of Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly five-year terms, Gabriel locked to 2029, a formalized Saliba term length communicated cleanly, and Saka’s improved package landing before the run-in. The “one more” renewal is tracking as a feel-good headline—most plausibly Timber given internal admiration—though a managerial extension would electrify the fanbase. Net scenario: two headline arrivals plus one defensive addition, and a wave of renewals that cements the title window.

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Conclusion

This is what an apex club’s window looks like: needs identified months in advance, targets who raise the ceiling without breaking the structure, and a conveyor belt of renewals that locks in prime-age talent. A striker who finishes the chances this team already manufactures, a creator who destabilizes low blocks, a left-footed defender who perfects build-up symmetry—layered over a spine secured for years—turns consistency into dominance.

There will be noise over fees and availability, but the framework is sound and the momentum is real. Arsenal aren’t browsing; they’re executing. Land Gyökeres or an equivalent elite finisher, push Eze over the line, and capture Hincapié, and the margins that decided last season swing sharply. With Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly protected, Gabriel and Saliba locked, Saka next, and one more renewal to crown the lot, the message to the league is unmistakable: the project isn’t peaking—it’s powering up.