Arsenal kick off their Premier League campaign at home to Coventry City on August 21 but they still have plenty of work to do in the transfer market before their squad is complete
Myles Lewis-Skelly and Martin Zubimendi
Arsenal duo Myles Lewis-Skelly and Martin Zubimendi will be battling for minutes next season if Bruno Guimaraes joins
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Arsenal's current strongest XI does not look too dissimilar to the side we saw in the latter stages of last season.
That's because outside of the departed Leandro Trossard and injured William Saliba, there are not many changes due to the lack of transfer activity.
David Raya is of course in goal, then Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Magalhaes, Cristhian Mosquera and Ben White or Jurrien Timber make up the back four.
Declan Rice would partner Myles Lewis-Skelly or Martin Zubimendi in midfield with Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka behind Viktor Gyokeres or Kai Havertz.
There has not been much of a refresh to date but reinforcements could arrive soon as the Gunners are working on a big-money deal for Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes plus exploring a long-shot blockbuster swoop for Vinicius Junior.
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Guimaraes would undoubtedly come straight into Arsenal's best XI and the same applies for Vini Jr but if those deals do not happen, there is an argument the squad has not been improved.
Arsenal need a top-class left-winger and it if they are unable to strike a deal, there will be extra reliance on Martinelli this term.
Christos Tzolis a fine replacement for Trossard but he will need time to adjust and Arsenal would also need Martinelli to step up and deliver big numbers.
The Brazilian speedster impressed in the Champions League last season but he blows hot and cold and this feels like a career-defining campaign for the Brazilian at the Emirates.
Providing he stays, he needs to prove he is worth of a new contract as his current deal is up in 2027, though includes a 12-month extension option.
Secondly, if Arsenal land Guimaraes, what does that mean for Lewis-Skelly and Zubimendi's minutes? Yes Arsenal want to compete across all competitions but Zubimendi barely played in the final weeks of the campaign, so there's an argument he would be fourth in command.
Bruno Guimaraes celebrates
Bruno Guimaraes would go straight into Arsenal's starting XI(Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
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Then finally, the full-backs. Mikel Arteta has chopped and changed his pecking order. Lewis-Skelly was a mainstay in big Champions League matches in 2024-25, particularly against Real Madrid and PSG but then lost his place to Calafiori at the start of last season.
Then there's Piero Hincapie, who started the Champions League final over Calafiori, who had a niggle.
At right-back, Jurrien Timber is still recovering from his problematic groin issue. Ben White is rebuilding his fitness following his MCL injury and there's some doubt as to whether he'll be ready to hit the ground running at the start of the season.
If both stars continue to face fitness problems, could Arsenal seek to recruit another full-back? Mosquera looks poised to partner Gabriel at centre-back, so there's a chance he won't be able to fill in at right-back.
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