The summer transfer window officially opens next week and there's plenty of work for Arsenal to do.
As the Gunners' targets for the 2023/24 campaign are likely to be; challenge for the Premier League title, give a better account of themselves in the domestic cup competitions and go deep in the Champions League. Although, Mikel Arteta is aware that he needs to improve the quality of his first-team squad.
"No. At the level that we want no. We didn't have the capacity to do that as well with the Europa League so it's part of that evolution," he told football.london last month when asked if his squad has the depth to compete both in the Champions League and the Premier League next season.
"We have made a lot of good steps and strong steps in that journey and we have to continue. That never ends. We want to be better and the rest will be better, then the margins will be higher and we have to start to live with those standards and improve and be smarter.
"That doesn't mean only signing players. It's to improve our own players. There are players that we haven't had the best out of them this season. There are a few players where they haven't had the minutes or the performances and we have to seek as well for those players to give us a different edge.
"It's not only about signing players. It's about resources and staff and improving certain things that can be done better or more efficiently or smarter."
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Those comments are extremely interesting for many reasons. Firstly it offers hope to the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira and those who were on the fringes for the majority of the season that has just finished. Secondly, the plan to act smarter in the summer transfer window might just be a sign of things to come.
As Arsenal continue to be linked with defensive reinforcements, there could be an opportunity to take advantage of Real Valladolid's relegation from La Liga by signing highly-rated youngster Ivan Fresneda at a cut-price fee having missed out on a £13million deal in the January transfer window.
But whilst the Spaniard is being tipped to arrive at the Emirates Stadium, Kieran Tierney could be on his way out after initially falling behind Oleksandr Zinchenko in the left-back pecking order and then being overlooked in favour of Jakub Kiwior in the final two games of the 2022/23 campaign.
Amid talk of a £30million move to Newcastle United, were the Scotland international to leave Arsenal this summer, one would assume that Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar will look to sign a direct replacement, especially considering Zinchenko doesn't have the most reliable injury record.
However, it could be that signing Fresneda allows Takehiro Tomiyasu, brought in as a right-back in the summer of 2021, to be permanently converted into a left-back. A role change wouldn't be too much of a surprise considering he was used there on a number of occasions throughout the campaign.
In fact, Arteta started Tomiyasu as a left-back against Liverpool and Leeds United during the first half of the season - even when Tierney was available for selection - and impressed some Gunners supporters in a brief cameo in the Europa League round of 16 first-leg tie against Sporting CP.
Of course, with the Japan international not having the best luck with injuries in the past 12 to 18 months, any decision with regard to a permanent role change could be delayed until he's able to prove his fitness with Arteta hopeful the defender will be back for the start of pre-season training.
"I think he will be really close. Hopefully, he will be around pre-season, like Willy (Saliba) to be in a good place," the Spaniard told reporters before the 5-0 win over Wolves. "They have been working so hard. He’s a tremendous person, he’s a top professional and we just want him to be available."
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