According to multiple sources, Arteta has made Brentford star striker Igor Thiago his top priority for a summer upgrade up front, with Arsenal formally entering the race for the same target Manchester United have tracked for some time. For the Gunners, who ended a 22-year wait to reclaim the Premier League title only to lose the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, this potential deal is not simply about “buying another striker”—it is a second upgrade to the champions’ attack.
Why the champions still need to shake up their front line
Last season under Arteta, Arsenal completed their league coronation, but their attacking firepower was not without concerns: Swedish international Viktor Gyökeres faced repeated scrutiny during the campaign, and while the club has no intention of selling him in the summer window, management understands that placing all scoring pressure on a single No. 9 carries too much risk. Meanwhile, speculation continues to swirl that Gabriel Martinelli and Leonardo Trosard could enter the transfer market—the former has a clear database match on the shortlist, meaning the Gunners’ forward line has room for a “keep the strong, shore up the weak” approach.
Sporting director Andrea Berta and Arteta are expected to continue last season’s reinforcement pace, with overall spending possibly exceeding the previous transfer window. Against this backdrop, Thiago’s name has been pushed to the forefront, and the logic is straightforward: the team needs a goalscorer who can slot straight into a high-intensity pressing system, not simply add bench depth.
Thiago: the name Manchester United least want to see linked to a rival bid
Brazil international Igor Thiago has just wrapped up the best season of his career, finishing second in the Premier League scoring charts behind only Erling Haaland. Productive strikers of this profile are already scarce on the transfer market, and Brentford have moulded him into a complete No. 9 within their system at the Gtech Community Stadium (capacity 17,250)—capable of both holding up play in the box and pressing aggressively off the ball. That is precisely the forward template Arteta has long championed.
Reporting suggests Arteta began tracking his development even before Thiago arrived in England, believing his profile could offer a fresh solution within Arsenal’s attacking setup. Manchester United likewise view the Brazilian striker as a key piece in their front-line rebuild; should the Gunners push ahead with him as a priority target, a bidding war between the two clubs could further inflate his valuation. Multiple sources put the current valuation at around £77 million, though competition between the two giants may drive the final fee higher.
By the numbers: Brentford’s confidence and United’s fixture backdrop
Judging by the recent league form of Gabriel Martinelli’s Arsenal, Brentford and Manchester United, the timing of this move is hardly coincidental. Brentford endured a mixed run to close the 2025-26 season: after a 0-3 away defeat in Matchday 36, they drew 2-2 at home in Matchday 37 and took another point with a 1-1 draw on the final day—underlining their reliance on a core forward and opening a window for bigger clubs to move. Manchester United, meanwhile, edged a 3-2 home win in Matchday 37, drew 0-0 in Matchday 36, and lost 0-3 away on the final day—finishing efficiency and consistency in attack remain unresolved issues at Old Trafford (capacity 76,212).
For Arsenal, securing Thiago would mean a title-ready core no longer has to keep trial-and-erroring over who delivers in the biggest games; for Manchester United, it would mean the most sensitive competitive signal on their transfer list has been lit up. How the rest of the summer window unfolds will depend on which club completes its financial and squad-structure groundwork first, and on Brentford’s bottom-line asking price for their second-leading scorer.
What to Watch Next
Gyökeres staying is all but a done deal, while whether Martinelli and Trossard will depart remains to be officially confirmed. Once Thiago talks move into substantive negotiations, valuations for strikers across the Premier League title race and the battle for European places will be repriced across the board. We will continue to track the bidding tempo from the Gunners and United on this target, and whether Brentford will attach release clauses or installment structures to raise the bar.
