Josh Kroenke confirms Arsenal transfer plan after winning Premier League title

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Josh Kroenke has confirmed Arsenal are already making plans to strengthen their squad this summer as the club looks to retain the Premier League title they captured for the first time in 22 years.

The Gunners clinched the championship on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, ending their long wait for England’s top prize. With a Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain still to come on Saturday, attention is already turning to next season’s challenges.

Summer strengthening plans underway

Speaking to NBC after Arsenal’s title triumph, Kroenke made it clear the club won’t be resting on their laurels during the upcoming transfer window.

“The business never stops. Right now there are already other teams who are trying to strengthen and come at us for next season,” he said. “We need to be aware of that. We’ve already had a few different conversations about different areas where we think we can improve on and off the pitch.”

The Arsenal co-chairman revealed discussions are already taking place about potential improvements both in terms of player recruitment and behind-the-scenes operations. However, he acknowledged the upcoming World Cup in the United States will present unique scheduling challenges for the summer window.

Credit to current structure

Kroenke praised the partnership between manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta, highlighting how their collaboration has been instrumental in Arsenal’s success. The continuity within the leadership structure has allowed the team to develop organically over time rather than through hasty changes.

“When you have Mikel and Andrea overseeing all of our sporting side like they have and then our players, I can’t say enough about them,” Kroenke explained. “They’ve been put together over a period of time and they’ve grown together. That continuity really allowed them to come together in a way to achieve something special.”

The Kroenke Sports & Entertainment executive emphasized that winning at the highest level requires a long-term process rather than quick fixes, drawing on his family’s experience with successful franchises across various American sports.

Championship pressure praised

Reflecting on Arsenal’s title-winning campaign, Kroenke noted how the sustained pressure of a Premier League season differs from knockout competitions in American sports. He particularly praised how the squad handled the mounting expectations as the season progressed.

“The pressure is different, you start to feel it a little earlier and these players when the pressure started to mount they really came together,” he said.

With Arsenal set to face PSG in Saturday’s Champions League final, the club has the opportunity to complete a remarkable double in their first season back at European football’s top table. The summer transfer window will then provide Arteta and Berta with the chance to build on this success and prepare for the challenge of defending their Premier League crown.