Arsenal have been fairly quiet in the transfer market so far this summer, with just one first-team arrival.
RIccardo Calafiori has joined from Bologna, and he could be joined by Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino in the coming weeks as the Premier League season gets underway.
Arsenal will aim to finally beat Manchester City to the title after two second-place finishes, but it will not be easy.
Fans have questioned why there has been little movement in the window, but given the quality and depth Arsenal already possess, it is not easy to find upgrades in this market.
Mikel Arteta has now explained the high demands he is setting for any incoming players, and revealed that Arsenal will now only dip into the market if they deem it truly necessary, and any new signing has to be of a high standard.
Mikel Arteta explains Arsenal transfer plans during quiet window
Speaking on the Men In Blazers Podcast, Arteta stated that Arsenal will look in-house and to the academy to find solutions before entering the market, but any player who is signed has to fit their desired characteristics.
“The process is obviously something that we’ve done together with the club, with the ownership, the boards, with Edu the sporting directors, with all the coaches, just understanding the team better and the direction that the team and the club are taking,” he stated.
“What kind of players, what kind of character, personality do we need in there, and first of all we need to look in-house. If there is someone good in the academy whether a staff member or player, let’s do it. They have a sense of belonging to the club, our way of feeling it, that is impossible to replicate with any other player.
“If we don’t have it, Ok, we need to look. Can we develop the players that we already have? If the answer is no, then we have to go and recruit.
“I will try to recruit players that we can all feel that they are part of us, and they are able to transmit the values and the ideas that we have at the club.
Arteta has also laid out his expectations for any players that now join the club.
“First of all they have to love the game, and someone that loves winning, and after we’re gonna start with the rest. They need to love the club, so they need to be willing to join us for the right reasons, and then characters that can complement what we already have and provide what we don’t have.
“If we need more leadership, we need to go and recruit players with certain experience or certain skills.
“We have to think about those players, how they are going to fit in in the dressing room, what kind of groups are we going to create within the team, which is really important, and the role of that player.
“Is that player capable of delivering the role, whether it is to be a captain, or more of a finisher, or a sub or someone who is going to bond the team. There’s a lot of roles within a team.”
Arsenal do not need to panic in the transfer market
Arsenal are well stocked in terms of numbers all over the pitch, which is why any more incomings may depend on the departures of players such as Aaron Ramsdale, Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson.
They are in a position where they do not need to sign for the sake of it, but any market opportunities or genuine game-changing additions will be sought out.
Whilst Calafiori is the only signing so far, Arsenal are still in a stronger position than they were this time last year, and will hope that internal improvements can get them off to a fast start to take the initiative in the title race.
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