Declan Rice has been the star man in midfield since he arrived at the club in 2023, elevating his game to become arguably the best all-around midfielder in the world. The biggest worry is the 4,854 minutes he played prior to the World Cup last campaign, during which he’s been battling a hamstring injury.
Preserving Rice’s fitness has to be a priority for the club heading into the season, with managing his minutes and other players providing cover.
The two natural options are likely Martin Zubimendi, who had a good start to the season before tailing off from fatigue, and Myles Lewis-Skelly, whose emergence in the final few games has earned him the right to more minutes in midfield next season.
On the flip side, Christian Nørgaard may potentially be on the block after just 106 league minutes. He clearly isn’t trusted in big moments, but one area the club needs to be wary of this summer is losing too much experience.
A potential signing for the pivot may be on the cards with those options in mind, with the biggest priority offering cover to preserve Rice.
The logjam at attacking midfield is another area the Gunners need to sort this summer, especially with the heavy links to Morgan Rogers.
Martin Ødegaard struggled with injury and form, Eberechi Eze drifted in and out of the team, Mikel Merino was the preferred option at the start of the season, Ethan Nwaneri was shipped out to Marseille on loan, while Bukayo Saka covered there a few times and Max Dowman broke into the first team.
The reality is that’s too many players and fighting for minutes. The club has done a great job with incomings for several years, but the outgoings have lagged way behind. It’s always difficult to see good players leave, but that may need to change for Arsenal to consistently challenge for major trophies.