After a rough start to the season things are looking good for Arsenal's top four race
One of the most significant of these is the competition for starting places that has been created by new signings. Nowhere is this more typified than at left-back, where Nuno Tavares' excellent recent form in the absence of Kieran Tierney has created a selection problem that Mikel Arteta admits he is delighted to have.
"This is what we need," he said of the pair's battle to be in the first XI. "Two top players that are raising the level in their position - and I'm happy with that."
In midfield, though, it's a different story.
Despite the summer signing of Albert Sambi Lokonga the Gunners' first choice midfield pairing has been pretty dead set.
It's not as if the Belgian hasn't impressed when called upon. During Granit Xhaka's three month injury absence at the start of the season he was largely excellent, creating plenty of hype that he could one day be a regular in the first team.
However, since Xhaka's return to fitness, Arteta's preferred midfield line up has been to field the Swiss international alongside Thomas Partey when the pair are available.
Recently though, the way the Spaniard has fielded the pair has been slightly different.
Since mid-December Arsenal have subtly transitioned from being a midfield double-pivot side to one that plays a 4-3-3. In this system Xhaka and Partey have been essential, while Martin Odegaard has generally operated in the right half space as one of the 'free eights.'
This has proved to be something of a winning formula for the Gunners who have won eight of the 10 games that the trio have started together this season.
However, it seems that winning formula could be about to be broken up.
football.london understands that Roma are set to reignite their interest in Xhaka at the end of this season. Jose Mourinho's side came close to signing the 28-year-old last summer and are thought to still be keen on bringing him to the Stadio Olympico this time around.
All this means that the Gunners could be in the market for a midfielder this summer.
As well as deciding to sell Xhaka though they will have to make two more decisions on players in this area of the pitch.
Mohamed Elneny is set to leave the Emirates when his contract expires at the end of the season, but that does not mean that Arsenal won't have a surplus of midfielders on their books.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Lucas Torreira are still officially registered at the Emirates despite the fact that they are on loan at Serie A sides Roma and Fiorentina respectively.
Should the Gunners make the decision to move the pair on permanently as is expected this summer, that may well open the door to a move for Lille midfielder Renato Sanches.
The Portuguese international has been linked with a move to north London recently after impressing in Ligue 1 since his move there from Bayern Munich in 2019.
He has spent time in the Premier League during a loan spell with Swansea before, but Sanches is a far better and more confident player these days.
Recently as he travelled to Stamford Bridge with Lille in their Champions League second round first leg, the former Benfica man caught the eye with a performance that seemed to tick a lot of Arteta's boxes.
A dynamic presence, and excellent passer capable of playing in tight spaces, Sanches seems to posses everything the Spaniard would want in his left sided 'eight' at the Emirates.
On top of that, despite bursting onto the scene during Portugal's EURO 2016 triumph, he is still only 24-years-old and therefore the right age profile for the type of player Edu is keen to recruit.
Of course, there are risks that come with signing Sanches. His injury record is not the best as consistent hamstring problems have stunted his development during his time with Lille, Swansea and Bayern Munich.
However, reports have suggested that the Gunners could sign the Portuguese midfielder for as little as £16.7 million this summer as a result of Lille's financial troubles and the fact that his contract with Les Dogues expires in 2023.
As Edu seeks to provide Arteta with a squad capable of taking Arsenal back to the level of challenging for European football's elite trophies, taking a risk on Sanches could be one of the best decisions the Brazilian ever takes.
