Arsenal has endured a turbulent last decade of play. Following the sacking of managerial legend Arsene Wenger due to the club's failure to progress further than just a top 4 qualification, the club has not finished better than fourth. But I have a feeling that things may change this season for the Gunners.
New Signings
Arteta and co have been busy this summer, eagerly trying to tie down new players for this season. Currently, it looks as though Gabriel Jesus is the likely replacement for the recently departed Lacazette. The Brazilian will fit nicely into Arsenal's young, creative attack. He will compete for places with Nketiah, who has recently signed a new contract. Another striker would be beneficial as they enter a season with both the Premier League and the Europa League. But there is no denying that Jesus will add to a shallow strike force, and with a guaranteed place up top, Jesus should be able to score goals regularly. And a regular goal scorer is exactly what they need, with winger Bukayo Saka their top goal scorer with just 12 goals.
While the Jesus deal remains in the works, they have confirmed Fabio Vieira from Porto. While he has had very few starts in his senior career, the minutes he has earned have been impressive. In 39 games this season, he scored 7 goals and added 16 assists. He will likely play a similar role to Smith-Rowe, with the Englishman perhaps being given more regular starts as Vieira comes in.
The Gunners have also signed young Brazilian winger Marquninhos to bolster their attacking options.
In defense, Arsenal is also battling it out for Ajax's Lisandro Martinez, as a sort of fire sale continues for the Dutch side. With Jurrien Timber's deal stalling, United appears to have shifted their attention to his partner Martinez. However, if Arsenal is able to bring in the Argentinean, their young defensive core will have yet another quality player. A centreback group of White, Gabriel, Holding, and Martinez will mean that Arteta will have the depth required to endure a long, grueling season. And that's before we even mention the return of William Saliba.
Finally, Arteta has also brought in USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner to be the new backup, signalling that Berd Leno could be out the door, after losing his spot to Aaron Ramsdale.
William Saliba Returns
Somehow, Saliba is yet to make an appearance for Arsenal. And that's despite being one of Ligue's best players this season, even making it into the TOTY and winning YPOTY. There is no doubt that Arsenal has had a quality player on their books, but now after a stunning campaign with Marseille, it finally looks as though he is ready for the step up to the Premier League.
As mentioned, Arsenal has a strong core of centrebacks, with White and Gabriel proving that they can hold their own, but the additions of Martinez and the return of Saliba will evaluate that position to trophy-winning quality.
The only concern will be Saliba's relationship with the club and Arteta. Arteta wants him for next season, but Saliba himself has doubts about returning to his parent club.
“I want to come back and play the Champions League.," he explained. "I have never played in it and I want to discover it here.”
Saliba could become a star player in the Emirates if the club and player can overcome these differences.
A Complete, Motivated Squad, but Still with Gaps
Arteta finally looks as though he has his squad as his own. A young core with Saka, Odegaard, Ramsdale, and Gabriel at its core, Arteta has a solid foundation to build on. With Lacazette, Aubamayeng, and even Guendouzi out the door, the squad is edging closer to a group that is fully Arteta's making.
There still are some issues that need resolving, however. If Bukayo Saka picks up and injury, Arsenal suddenly are missing quality on the right. New man Vieira could fill in, however, another attacking player to play on either wing could be needed. Reports suggest that Arsenal are seriously considering Leeds man Raphina for the role. While he would undeniably be a good signing, it is difficult to imagine Arsenal signing a potentially $70m attacker, having just confirmed Vieira.
But above all else, the central midfield area needs addressing. Partey has proven to be inconsistent with both form and fitness, whilst Xhaka and Elneny have also struggled to nail down a starting position, despite a positive end to the season. Arsenal aren't really linked with many midfielders at the moment, but the interest in Tielemans from the past makes sense. The Leicester man would be a solid addition to a midfield focused on providing stability to the forward line. Rabiot has also been linked with a move to the Emirates, although I would prefer to see Arteta move for someone more dynamic, like Tielemans. Still, either player would go a long way to pushing Arteta's men up the table.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that Arsenal is moving in the right direction under its new leadership. A solid, young core of players is finally in place at the North London club, and with just a few more signings, the squad will begin to look more and more capable of competing.
However, even if they were to hypothetically sign Jesus, Raphina, Tielemans, and Martinez, the squad still doesn't quite reach the heights of City and Liverpool. A top 4 finish on the other hand, would absolutely be on the cards.
With Chelsea in the financial gutter after the Lukaku saga, and the departure of Christensen and Rudiger, the Blues look like they might drift out of Champions League Qualification. That leaves Spurs and United as true challengers for 3rd and 4th positions. United is linked with a load of top players but has yet to make a signing, and there is every chance that come the start of the season, the Arsenal squad looks to be in a far better place than Red Devils. However, Old Trafford is currently home to a few "sleeping giants" such as Rashford, Maguire, and Sancho, who all have undeniable quality but struggled last season.
Spurs have strengthened with smart signings such as Yves Bissouma and Perisic, but the North London rivals are still missing cover in the attack if one of Son or Kane goes down. And with a Champions League campaign to parallel the League, their squad could become very thin.
The race for the top 4 will be interesting this season. For Arsenal, unfortunately, the top 4 will likely be as far as they go. A title challenge still appears to be 2 or 3 seasons away, even if they were to acquire all their targets. Arsenal fans should still be excited, however, as the prospect of winning a cup or the Europe League is very much on the cards. My final prediction for them is 4th, falling just short of a rejuvenated Manchester United.
If Arsenal follow through with their signings I genuinely think they can be dark horses. I am a fan of Artetas project and it seems like they have a style since the Wenger era. I think with a bit more experience and consistency second place or even a title can be feasible.