It’s been a brilliant few days for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta has finally tied down his talisman, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, to a new contract and the Gunners also got their Premier League campaign off to the perfect start with a 3-0 victory over Brighton on Saturday.
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Aubameyang has put pen to paper on a new three-year contract at the Emirates – a deal which could allegedly earn him a whopping £60million.
Arteta has already become a hugely popular figure in north London by steering the club to two trophies, integrating an attractive philosophy and delivering results in the big matches.
However, he will know more than anyone that a lot more work needs to be done to bridge the gap to Man City and Liverpool in the 2020/2021 campaign.
So what does Arteta need to do to ensure Arsenal secure a top four finish? talkSPORT.com has identified four steps that he must take…
Sell Guendouzi and other deadwood
The Gunners have already picked up £20m after reluctantly selling Emiliano Martinez but they need to continue their selling spree if they are to land their next targets.
The first name on that list should be Matteo Guendouzi, who fell out of favour with Arteta last season after taunting Brighton fans about their inferior salaries.
Arteta has shown not afraid to throw players who don’t buy into his project into the cold and he must find a suitable buyer for Guendouzi, who they will look for around £20m for.
Hector Bellerin is the subject of interest from PSG and Emirates chiefs should consider cashing in on the right-back as they have a fine replacement for the Spaniard in Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Lucas Torrieira is also believed to be about to fetch Arsenal around the £20m mark by heading back to Serie A.
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Find a back-up goalkeeper
The Gunners are looking for a new back-up keeper after Martinez completed his move to Aston Villa.
Martinez deputised brilliantly for the injured Bernd Leno last season, keeping nine clean sheets in 23 games.
His absence now leaves Mikel Arteta with a gap to plug as an injury to Leno could leave the club in dangerous position.
According to The Telegraph, Arsenal have spoken to French club Dijon over a deal for Iceland goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson, who has a price tag of £1.5m.
Another option for Arsenal could be a move for Chelsea’s Willy Caballero. The Argentine is as experienced as they come and could be made surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge as they close in on a deal to sign Edouard Mendy from Rennes.
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Sign Aouar and Partey
Having signed Gabriel from Lille, the weakest point in Arsenal’s XI is their midfield and Arteta must now complete deals for Houssem Aouar and Thomas Partey from Lyon and Atletico Madrid respectively,
Aouar played a key role in Lyon’s superb Champions League campaign this year, where they were defeated in the semi-finals to eventual winners Bayern Munich.
He has emerged as one of the best midfielders in France in recent seasons and it is understood Arteta ‘loves’ the way he plays and is desperate to add him to his ranks.
Another defensive midfielder to partner Xhaka is also needed and the signing of Partey would be an incredible addition.
The Ghanaian midfielder, who produced a dominant display against Liverpool in the Champions League last season, is believed to be keen on a move to north London.
The 27-year-old is one of the main reasons Diego Simeone’s side have been so solid in defence since his emergence in 2015, but the LaLiga club are asking for £45m.
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Get the best out of Pepe
Perhaps the only thing Arteta hasn’t done well since his arrival at Arsenal is get the best out of Pepe.
The Ivorian became the Gunners’ most expensive signing last summer when he arrived from Lille in a £72m deal.
The 25-year-old joined the club on the back of a remarkable season for the Ligue 1 club, scoring 23 goals and providing 12 assists in 41 games, but struggled to make the same impact in his debut campaign in the top-flight.
He did look slightly brighter towards the end of the campaign, though, as he helped the Gunners win the FA Cup.
Willian’s arrival from Chelsea could see Pepe utilised as a striker this season. He thrived at Lille in that position and it may be a tactical risk worth taking for Arteta.
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