Mikel Arteta says he’s pleased with the squad depth at his disposal going into the new season, but admits the club are ‘actively looking’ to see if further additions can be made before the close of the transfer window.
The Gunners have brought in six players this summer, providing the manager with plenty of options when it comes to team selection, but with the potential for some departures this month, there’s still the possibility of another signing.
Speaking after the [3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao](https://arseblog.news/2025/08/report-arsenal-3-0-athletic-bilbao-inc-goals/) yesterday, in which summer signings Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi stood-out, Arteta said of potential new arrivals, “Let’s see what happens in terms of where the squad is in the next few weeks, but we are actively looking at options, as well there are a few players maybe that they have to leave as well so we’ll be open to see what happens.”
And on addressing issues of squad depth, a problem last time out, he continued, “I think having everybody involved at their best, that’s what we want and then we’re going to have to start with 11 players and other players are going to have to impact the game.
“At the end they’re going to have to earn it on that pitch with every day, with their behaviour, the quality and the connection that they show with the team and it’s exactly what we need.
“We never had the demands that we have this season in terms of the competition we have to play and the amount of games already that these guys have to play.
“So it’s very much needed, nothing different to any of the top teams in this country, nothing different.”
There’s exactly a week to the start of the new campaign when we travel to face Man Utd at Old Trafford, and while Arteta is happy with the readiness of his team, he says there’s still work to do on the training ground this week.
“I think on the physical part we’re in a really good place,” he said.
“I think we have competed against very different opponents in different contexts, in different countries, so it’s been a really complete pre-season.
“You constantly learn and evolve in the team, that’s not going to stop now because this is the last test of pre-season.
“On Monday we’ll continue to work on things, on things that we have to develop and improve from today, from the last few games, and other things that we want to still do.
“And especially the integration of the new players to make sure that we create such a bond and spirit in the team that we can compete.”