Sports · 02 September, 2026 · 3 min read
Arsenal Transfer Window Ends With Two Wins After Malick Fofana Deal To Sunderland
Arsenal started the season with two wins. Malick Fofana agreed to join Sunderland on deadline day.
4 outlets, one story, no spin found.
3 of 4 outlets skipped it: arsenal missed out on Malick Fofana to Sunderland.
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Arsenal’s transfer setbacks
Arsenal began the new Premier League season with two wins as the transfer window closes, looking in ominous shape to retain the crown they won for the first time in 22 years last season.
“Malick Fofana has agreed a deal to join Sunderland.”
The Gunners had a quiet final day to the window having concluded their business before the traditional late rush, but their transfer plans were disrupted when Malick Fofana agreed a deal to join Sunderland.
Fofana had been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium as an option on the left wing, and Football.london reports Arsenal explored conditions with Lyon but never found common ground.
The Sunderland agreement with Lyon is reported to be worth £25.7m plus £4.3m in add-ons to sign the 21-year-old, who was given permission to travel to the North East ahead of completing his move.
In the same window, Arsenal’s activity included a club record sale that will see Gabriel Martinelli move to Al-Hilal for around £60million, while the BBC notes Arsenal’s interest in Atletico Madrid’s Argentina forward Julian Alvarez did not bear fruit.
Title race and rivals
The BBC frames Arsenal as the team to beat after they dismantled Manchester City in The Community Shield and won at Aston Villa in their opening two league games.
Bruno Guimaraes is described as a £75m signing from Newcastle United who showed in his brief cameo in the 1-0 win against Aston Villa what he will bring, while England defender Ezri Konsa is said to offer instant class in defence after moving from Aston Villa.
Manchester City’s window is portrayed as a heavy transition, with manager Pep Guardiola replaced after 10 years by Enzo Maresca and key departures including Rodri, Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Jack Grealish.
City’s spending is detailed as £125m to reunite former Chelsea manager Maresca with Enzo Fernandez, equalling the British transfer record, and the BBC says the Fernandez deal took City’s spending to a Premier League record £458m for a single transfer window.
For Chelsea, the BBC says new manager Xabi Alonso opened with two Premier League wins and that goalkeeper Robert Sanchez’s display at Fulham led him to sign Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa, while Morgan Rogers is noted as a £117m signing from Aston Villa.
Money, pressure, and moves
Sports Illustrated’s salary ranking places Bukayo Saka at the top of Arsenal’s best-paid players, listing a gross annual salary of €22.831.631 and a net annual salary of €12.563.251.
“1. Bukayo Saka Salario bruto anual: €22.831.631”
The same ranking lists Declan Rice with a gross annual salary of €18.265.304 and a net annual salary of €10.045.917, and it also lists Kai Havertz with a gross annual salary of €20.091.835 and a net annual salary of €11.052.851.
As the window closes, the BBC asks whether title contenders have done enough to challenge Arsenal, pointing to Arsenal’s lack of a consistent spearhead threat up front after Julian Alvarez’s move to Barcelona was blocked.
Football.london adds that Arsenal’s only forward signing this summer was the £34m arrival of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, while it says Arsenal were forced to look elsewhere after Sunderland’s deadline day hijack.
Meanwhile, the BBC reports that Chelsea were bitterly disappointed when Monaco pulled the plug on their move for highly-regarded midfielder Lamine Camara as Fernandez departed, underscoring how quickly rivals’ deals reshaped the late hours.