In Mikel Arteta's final pre-match press conference of the league season, the Arsenal manager provided some of the most promising news surrounding the club's hopes for the summer since… well, actually, since the last weekend. But in a broader context, this past week has been some of the most committed words on transfers we’ve heard from the Gunners boss.
After the match with Newcastle, where the club wrapped up Champions League qualification and made it near-impossible to be caught into a third straight second-place finish, Arteta was asked on transfers and
"The plan is done, and the time will be dictated by many parties, many circumstances that unfortunately we don't control," replied when asked if having European confirmation would see the summer strategy start imminently. "But we have great people in charge of that, and they're going to be leading that with the board and ownership.
"And as well, make sure that the ones that we have, they feel valued, they feel loved, and we make sure that they want to continue with us in the right manner. And then the whole environment is excited.
"That is not just about if we make it, because we cannot start a season like that. And I want to feel that from day one, and I'm going to be very insistent on that."
The end of the answer and the focus on insistence of the board and the club that Arteta is backed and is not left short again seems to be something that bled through to this Thursday’s press conference. It was odd for the presser to be held on a Thursday, with typically the weekend matches being covered on Friday, and the early 8:30am start combined to make a relatively quiet press room.
Plenty of empty seats, perhaps with many parts of the media still in Spain following Spurs and Manchester United’s Europa League final bout, where one of those sides were crowned the winners. Don’t ask me who.
There was time for reflection throughout from Arteta, but he was insistent that the bulk of that self-criticism would come after this weekend’s game, when he can look at the broader picture, with all the numbers, data, and final league table to better understand what happened. The news that William Saliba and Jurrien Timber would be out for some weeks and miss this weekend was confirmed, but Arteta was unable to promise the Dutch international would be back from pre-season, although he did hint this was likely.
One rule of the press room, perhaps an unwritten rule but one which Arteta has almost drummed into us while in the room is to not ask about names. Now, it doesn’t stop it, and Isaan Khan of the Mail had a good go at trying to ask about Viktor Gyokeres last week, only for Arteta to slap the question away.
I had even joked to Isaan before the press conference about asking a similar question, but this time regarding Rodrygo. Last day of term vibes, you might say.
Credit to Simon Collings from The London Evening Standard, however, who did ask Arteta, in a clever way, about the link to the Real Madrid winger, but not specifically about the player himself - more so what a link to a player of such calibre says about where Arsenal are.
Arteta had a couple of goes at answering the question before landing on a pointed response. "Well, I wouldn't like to name a player, but obviously we have come..." he started before changing the approach to the answer.
"I think the biggest thing is that, and using the word pride, is that we have brought the club into a position, into a place that next season, 'You have to win a major trophy.' That means that everybody believes that we have the level, that we have shown the consistency, and we are an elite team in this country and in Europe.
"And if you don't do that, then what's going to happen? So, for me, that's the biggest statement, that Arsenal is there."
Big things are expected of the club this summer, and particularly in the forward line. Arsenal have been linked to the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Nico Williams, Eberechi Eze, Benjamin Sesko and the aforementioned Rodrygo already among others. The return of Kai Havertz last week gave everyone a look at his new muscled-up form after several months of rehabilitation and training after undergoing hamstring surgery.
BBC Radio London’s Harry Symeou asked Arteta whether the German’s return in such fine shape could provoke a change to the approach for a centre-forward during the window. It was here that Arteta delivered the three things which he is sure the club needs to add, regardless of whoever is at the club already.
"Well, what we have, what is clear as well with the amount of injuries that we had in the front line, that we need a goal threat, and we need the firepower out there." He said. "Understanding that the context can change tomorrow, you know, and we cannot rely just on the numbers that we had before. And we have to add goals, we have to add creativity, we have to add numbers, and that will be in different positions."
I imagine Arteta will argue, as he did a couple of weeks ago, that he cannot make the statement any clearer. Arsenal want signings, not just one or two, but clearly they want several to help support the team and add firepower.
They want to keep their best players, with several renewals under discussion such as Thomas Partey, who Arteta confirmed he did indeed want to see stay. Andrea Berta will be leading plenty of this regarding contracts, signings and sales and the summer will reveal just how much Arteta’s insistence has worked.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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