Teams can only go as far as the players can take them. That sounds like a truism, but shortcomings in the summer window would haunt **Arsenal's**last campaign from start to finish in a season of struggles.
The Gunners ended up behind **Liverpool**in the race for the Premier League and suffered two exits in the final four of cup competitions. The club continue to compete for the top honours but will want to get rid of as many reasons for their shortcomings as they can before the new season starts in August.
Some areas stand out in the squad where transfers can raise their ceiling, but some fine-tuning is also key to hold onto the stable platform that has put these players on the cusp of glory for three years.
Where does the squad need strengthening?
Injuries across the board blighted the Gunners last season, but one department suffered the most.
**Arsenal**already needed more top talent to build on the talismanic presence of Bukayo Saka in the final third. Their prospects of beating battle-hardened teams often required the right winger to make the difference. Suitable work in this area of the pitch could look like a new left winger or a striker.
But for many fans, at least two additions are a must. This is a matter of the squad having the depth to deal better with load management as much as it is about raising the level of quality in the front three.
Saka, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Martinelli all spent at least a month out of action after they picked up hamstring injuries. The club cannot afford for those layoffs to turn into more persistent problems.
The future of Thomas Partey will dictate demands on the midfield. But even if he does stay past this summer, the club look to be making moves to firm up the squad in this part of the pitch. Based on the rumours, an extra six to release Declan Rice upfield seems to be the balance of preference for Arteta.
Uncharacteristically for the Emirates era, the Gunners have gone two years in a row with the fewest goals given away in the Premier League. The defensive department has also built out depth in the last two years, and not too much work might go on if squad members stay put. But even in that case, the departure of **Neto**begs the need for a new deputy to sit behind David Raya in the rankings.
Priority targets to track in the window
The Gunners seem set on building out the Basque clique in the dressing room. Mikel Merino moved to north London last year to join up with old teammate Martin Odegaard, and Martin Zubimendi appears to be next on the list. He would be the man who sits deep in the midfield to dictate the play.
However, the biggest talking point is the priority position of the striker. Two targets have hogged headlines.
Viktor Gyokeres stands out at **Sporting**as a scoring sensation, netting 97 times in 102 games for the club in two years. He is in contention for a transfer as the top choice central forward with Benjamin Sesko, whose second solid season of output at **RB Leipzig**left him as the top scorer for the team.
Links with Sesko were strong last summer and sporting director Andrea Berta is said to be a longtime admirer of Gyokeres. Either player would be straight under the spotlight as soon as they came to the club, but it sounds like the board have done their due diligence by tracking these targets for a while.
The papers have also earmarked an option over many months for the left wing. Nico Williams was one of the standout figures for **Spain**on their way to success in EURO 2024, forming a dynamic duo on the flanks with Lamine Yamal. He hoped that he could reach a **Europa League**final in front of his fans at Athletic Club, but that dream died, and he could now set his sights on new ambitions.
Possible departures
**Arsenal**significantly shed their squad depth last year with moves across London for Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah as well as loans for **Reiss Nelson**and Fabio Vieira. Those last two men may be gone for good this time, and other squad members may be sacrificed to free up more funds.
One of those players is likely to be Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Ukrainian nailed down a starting spot in the 2022/23 season as an inverted left back, ousting Kieran Tierney. But the tables have turned.
A year ago, **Riccardo Calafiori**came into the squad as their most expensive summer signing. To make matters worse, Myles Lewis-Skelly, a midfielder by trade like Zinchenko, has outdone his peers in the position. With only a year left to go on his contract, now might be the best time to sever ties.
The same time remains on the current contract of Leandro Trossard. He has shown himself to be a capable super sub and role filler across the front three. However, he is already in his thirties and the club could feel that it is best to allocate resources in the attack to fresh faces to fulfil their objectives.
A final candidate for the exit door could be Jakub Kiwior, whose deal does not run out until 2028. The Pole has proved he can plug holes across the back four, but minutes have been thin on the ground for most of his time in London. As a central defender, clubs across the continent could see someone worth using as a starter and his contract commands a much better position to demand more money.
Contract expirations
The strategic oversight of the summer window is a bit more complex because the Gunners are not just adding the final pieces of the puzzle. They also have to account for the impact of contract expirations.
Just a year ago, most fans would have said that the number six position was one of the most well-stocked in the squad. **Declan Rice**enjoyed a strong debut season, **Jorginho**admirably filled in the role from the start of 2024, and **Thomas Partey**picked up more minutes at the end of the season.
But while Rice remains a mainstay, the other two players could both be bringing their careers to a close at Arsenal. Jorginho has finished the final year of his deal, and he has already bid goodbye to the team, moving back to Brazil to join **Flamengo**before the beginning of the Club World Cup.
Meanwhile, many have praised Partey for his performances this campaign, but the Ghanaian, who is on the same five-year deal he signed in 2020 upon his arrival in north London, could also leave for free by the end of this month. Even though talks are ongoing, his quality has courted interest abroad.
The club also says farewell to Kieran Tierney, a longtime member of the club, who arrived in 2019 while Unai Emery was still sitting in the dugout. Touted for a time as a future captain, that duty never fell in his lap due to injuries and the tactical choices of Mikel Arteta. But his professionalism has never been in doubt and a goal in the 2-1 win against **Southampton**gave him a deserving sendoff.