**Arsenal’s** squad depth was one driving factor to them lifting the Premier League title, but [**Mikel Arteta**](https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2026/08/12/arsenal/1267839-arteta-aspires-to-keep-incredible-connection-across-the-club.html) outlined the steps the club are taking when holding discussions with those now surplus to requirements or keen on pastures new.
The new signings for the champions will only boost them before embarking on their ambitious objective of defending their league crown, something they have not achieved since the 1930s.
Former Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes is their marquee acquisition so far this summer, and a move for Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa to provide defensive cover is nearing completion.
However, alongside club chiefs, Mikel Arteta has had to evaluate the squad and decide on who may see themselves on the peripheries of the Gunners’ plans.
Even though Arsenal have transformed into title contenders under Arteta, they have struggled to rake in notable fees from selling players across his tenure.
He outlined the considerations the club have to make when deciding on offloading a player for the remainder of the transfer window.
_"I think you need to face it with real honesty and transparency. You might not like what you've been told, but if it's truthful, if it's the reality, if it's honest and it's going to help you to make better decisions and have more clarity for the next steps in your career, you have to do that._
_"These are always very difficult conversations, but they need to be done. It's like when a player doesn't feel that he belongs, or he's important, he wants to have a different chapter. I think that communication has to exist and it has to be both ways._
_"We all know everything has a start and has an end. When it comes to the end, I think our duty, our responsibility is to do it in the best possible way, maintaining the respect and admiration for the player and the relationship."_
He added, _"A possible issue that you can face is that maybe you want to make certain decisions with certain players, but they are that happy that they want to stay as well. So, it's a lot of factors that have to be right when you have to sell a player."_
Squads in the Premier League are capped at no more than 17 non-homegrown players, meaning those not affiliated to an English or Welsh club for three seasons before turning 21.
Arteta, among other managers, has bemoaned the squad limits and called for changes, due to his desire to spread minutes around the squad and manage the load of players.
The Arsenal head coach endeavours to retain as many players as possible for their next title charge to foster competition for places and offset the impact of injuries or suspensions, whilst fighting on several fronts.
_"I would like to have the squad as big as possible because we know what we are fighting for, how long this is._
_"We’ll learn again from the past, especially last year, when we had some difficulties, especially when we had two or three injuries in the same area of the pitch. So, the deeper the squad we have, the better. We have to manage that."_
Arteta declined to comment on specific individuals, but when pressed on Myles Lewis-Skelly’s future, he was _"100%"_ sure the 19-year-old would stay.
_"The players that have been raised in our system and feel generally that love and that connection with the club, it brings something else; there's no question about that. We need to look after them in a really special way because they bring value that is very difficult to find._
_"That's why, when we can, we want to protect those assets as much as possible, develop them and make them extremely important for the club."_
Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli have gained attraction from other clubs, and speculation has risen over their future at Arsenal, especially after their omissions from the Community Shield victory.