The pain of Budapest has barely settled, but Mikel Arteta is already thinking about what comes next.
The Arsenal manager has sent a clear message to the board following a gut-wrenching penalty shootout defeat to PSG in the Champions League final.
Speaking after the game, Arteta said, “We will start to make some very important decisions if we want to reach another level. And we’re going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it, but it’s going to demand to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”
The trajectory of this club under Arteta is undeniable. After 22 years, they are finally Premier League champions again, and they just reached their first Champions League final in 20 years.
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But losing to PSG on penalties, after giving everything, will have confirmed what the manager might just have already known.
The gap between this Arsenal side and the very best in Europe is closing, but it has not yet been fully bridged.
PSG have an abundance of attacking firepower — Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Barcola and Doue — players capable of creating and finishing moments of pure brilliance.
Arsenal’s attack is effective, organised and dangerous from set-pieces, but the X-factor that can unlock a deep defensive block or conjure something from nothing in a tight final is the missing piece.
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It feels like a statement of intent by Arteta directed at the board and the recruitment team, letting them know that standing still is not an option.
The good news is that Josh Kroenke has already shown he is willing to back the manager, and the club’s record revenues this season give them the financial resources to act.
Julian Alvarez is one of their primary attacking targets, though Barcelona are pushing hard to sign the Atletico Madrid striker.
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Eli Junior Kroupi and Morgan Rogers are also firmly in the frame as Arteta looks to add the creativity and goal threat that could make the difference at the highest level next season.
The important decisions Arteta refers to will also involve some difficult ones — players who have served the club well but may not be part of the next chapter.
That is the reality of a club that wants to go from Champions League finalists to Champions League winners.
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