Carragher Points to Two Positions Arsenal Must Strengthen to Compete for European Glory

Liverpool's legendary defender Jamie Carragher has laid bare what he sees as Arsenal's fundamental shortcoming heading into the transfer window, insisting the north London club will struggle against Europe's elite without significant investment in their attacking ranks.

The Gunners' season ended in heartbreak on Saturday when PSG edged them out in a penalty shootout in Budapest, denying Mikel Arteta's side an unprecedented domestic and European double. Having finally clinched the Premier League title after more than two decades of waiting, Arsenal's failure to add a first-ever Champions League trophy represented a bitter blow—particularly after Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both missed from the spot, following an early lead that the Gunners failed to build upon.

Despite the celebrations that followed during an open-top bus parade through London on Sunday, the conversation has already shifted to how Arsenal's squad will be reshaped for next season.

The Attack Remains the Achilles' Heel

Speaking to Sky Sports News in the aftermath of the Hungarian heartbreak, Carragher did not mince words about what he views as a persistent tactical limitation and quality gap that cost Arsenal dearly.

"That's always been the criticism of Arteta's Arsenal," Carragher said. "I think the way they played last night was almost the only way they could have played to try and beat PSG. PSG weren't great in the first half—were they there for the taking? But that's what Arsenal are."

The former Liverpool man highlighted how Arsenal's attacking players struggled to maintain possession when opportunities presented themselves, allowing PSG to regain the ball and press forward despite a subdued opening period.

"What I would say and I've said this all season is they don't have enough quality in attack," Carragher continued. "There were times in that first half especially where they just couldn't keep the ball. PSG weren't doing great, they weren't creating chances, but it was far too easy to allow a team just to push it back to the edge of your own box."

Defence Excellent, Attack Leaves Him Cold

While acknowledging Arsenal's exceptional defensive organisation—a hallmark of Arteta's tenure—Carragher suggested the contrast between the two teams' attacking prowess was starkly apparent at the Puskás Aréna.

"Arsenal are fantastic, the best team in the world at defending their own box and their two centre-backs were outstanding last night, but even though they are the champions of England they need better attackers," he explained.

The quality differential, in his assessment, was pronounced. "When you look at the quality of the front four of PSG compared to Arsenal, it's night and day."

Gyokeres Signing Hasn't Delivered

Carragher acknowledged that Arsenal's £64million investment in Viktor Gyokeres last summer was intended to address these very concerns, yet the Swedish striker's arrival has not resolved the underlying issue.

"I think that was the idea in the summer in terms of bringing Gyokeres in. It hasn't quite worked out for them," he said. "But I do look at the centre-forward position and I look at the left wing position and I think they need big upgrades if they're going to win the Champions League."

He stressed that without such reinforcements, Arsenal will continue to find themselves outgunned when facing the continent's strongest outfits. "When they come up against the best teams in Europe, and you look at the attacking players they've got, I think they're always going to be at a disadvantage," Carragher concluded.

"That is definitely where they need to improve in the summer."

The assessment comes as transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has already indicated that Arsenal have three signings lined up as near-certainties for the window, with the club evidently keen to capitalise on their Premier League success and mount a more credible European challenge next season.