Arsenal secured their place in the Champions League and finished second in the Premier League table after a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Newcastle United. That victory marked the best possible exclamation point on an otherwise disappointing season. Under Mikel Arteta, their squad finished as runners-up for a third straight season!
Though that goal had a happy ending, Arteta’s success was hard won and he pushed the club’s decision makers to spend big in the summer transfer window. For Mikel Arteta, it’s doing the same, with designs on turning Arsenal into Premier League winners and raising the bar even further next term.
Arteta’s call for action comes as Andrea Berta has recently been appointed as Arsenal’s new sporting director. This transfer could represent a shift in the club’s strategy on how they acquire players. The manager challenged his club’s strategic thinking to make the right moves in the transfer market. He pointed out that the current squad is very short on depth since many of the players’ contracts and loans are running out soon.
Contract negotiations would begin immediately with the major players. Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Miles Lewis-Skelly, and Ethan Nwaneri are currently involved in negotiations. At the same time, Thomas Partey’s future is up in the air as his current contract expires at the end of the campaign. On top of that, Kieran Tierney, Raheem Sterling, Neto, Jorginho and Oleksandr Zinchenko are all projected to leave Arsenal.
Arteta expressed his determination to build a stronger squad, stating, “We had a dream. It was to be here today or in a week’s time and to bring the big trophies to you guys.” He sounded optimistic and enthusiastic about the upcoming season during a wide-ranging conference call with supporters. He newly clarified that second place isn’t the end goal.
He remarked on the importance of maintaining focus during this transition period: “Make sure that chasing a dream doesn’t get blurry and you don’t [ignore] what this players, this staff, this football club is doing.”
Liverpool clinched the Premier League title last month, but Manchester City’s final-week results could still influence Arsenal’s standing. As Arteta seeks to further strengthen his squad ahead of next season, he’s focused on bringing further trophies to Arsenal’s devoted fans.
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