Pressure on Arteta to win trophies after Arsenal’s £200m spending spree

After narrowly missing out on the Premier League title last season, it’s fair to say the Arsenal hierarchy are backing Mikel Arteta in the transfer market this summer. The Gunners are embarking upon a mega £200m spending spree as they look to build a squad capable of competing with the likes of Manchester City However, after such an expensive outlay, the pressure will be on Arteta to bring trophies back to the Emirates Stadium over the coming years.

Depth needed

If last season taught us anything about Arsenal, it’s that they lacked the required depth to go all the way against Man City in the title race. Arteta knew his best team and when they were all fit, you could easily predict the starting eleven. Leandro Trossard’s arrival from Brighton in January added some much needed depth in attack and the Belgian international proved to be a very useful addition for Arsenal. Eddie Nketiah also filled-in admirably while Gabriel Jesus was out injured at the turn of the year with the young striker scoring some important goals to keep Arsenal’s title bid alive.

However, it was in defence and midfield that the Gunners were exposed last season. Many Arsenal fans will say the title was lost the day William Saliba got injured. The Frenchman was outstanding at the back last season and established himself as an integral part of Arteta’s team alongside Gabriel Magalhaes in the middle of defence. Arsenal held a five-point lead at the top of the table when Saliba picked up an untimely back injury against Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League in March. By the end of the season, they finished five points adrift of City – a 10-point swing.

Without Saliba in defence, Arsenal were vulnerable at the back and they conceded a whopping 11 goals during a four game winless run that turned the title race on it’s head. Consecutive 2-2 draws away to Liverpool and West Ham were followed by a disastrous 3-3 home draw against bottom club Southampton. Arsenal then shipped four goals away to Man City as the Cityzens took control of the title race and were top of the table by the end of April.

Takehiro Tomiyasu also got injured against Sporting, and Arsenal simply couldn’t cope with them both being out at the same time. It’s for this reason that Arteta has set his sights on signing Ajax star Jurrien Timber. A £40m deal is close to completion and the versatile Dutchman will be a very useful addition for Arsenal. Timber is comfortable playing at right-back or in central defence so he’ll provide vital competition in two areas of the pitch that Arsenal need depth in. If Saliba gets injured or needs a rest next season, Arteta will now be able to call upon Timber to fill the void rather than Rob Holding – who is just not at the required level to challenge for titles.

Rice a Gooner

Central midfield is another area that Arteta wants to strengthen. At times last season, Arsenal lost control of games at key moments and they need fresh energy in the middle of the park. Thomas Partey is being linked with a move to Juventus and Arsenal are ready to cash-in if a suitable offer arrives. The Ghanaian international is a superb player when fit and on top form, but the fact is he’s just not been reliable enough or consistent enough since arriving from Atletico Madrid.

Partey has been injury prone and picks up knocks too easily. His form also dropped off considerably during the business end of last season and that player a key role in Arsenal’s demise. Partey’s error during the draw at West Ham was a particularly important turning point, and it seems Arteta has identified the need to upgrade his DM.

Declan Rice is the player Arsenal have gone for and it looks as though a mega £105m deal is on the verge of being agreed. Arsenal have beaten off competition from Manchester City to secure Rices’ signature and it will be a huge statement of intent from the Gunners if they get the deal over the line. Rice is a top class defensive midfielder who is coming into the prime years of his career. He is a leader, knows the Premier League inside and out, and will be a sensational addition to Arsenal’s team.

Obviously £105m is a lot of money, but that’s the kind of fee top teams need to pay to buy the best players these days. Arsenal have pushed the boat out to get a deal done with West Ham and it’s a big show of faith from the owners to back Arteta with such a move.

Havertz done deal

Arteta also identified the need to bring in a versatile attacking midfielder this summer and Arsenal have agreed a deal to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea. The North Londoners will pay £60m plus £5m in add-ons for the German international, with Chelsea cashing in as they desperately try to balance their books following a year of unprecedented spending.

Havertz has largely played as a No.9 at Chelsea and he certainly has the ability to play up front if needed at Arsenal. However, Arteta reportedly sees Havertz as a replacement for Granit Xhaka in the No.8 midfield role. Xhaka is set to join Bayer Leverkusen in a £13m deal after arguably the best season of his career in an Arsenal shirt.

The Swiss international starred in a new box-to-box role in the middle of the park and chipped in with some important goals. However, his lack of pace and athleticism still hampered him at times, and it seems like now is the perfect time for Arsenal fans to say goodbye as he seeks a new challenge back in Germany.

Havertz may on the face of it seem like a strange choice by Arteta to act as a replacement, however, the stats show that the 24-year-old is more than capable of shinning in the No.8 position. Havertz made his name as an attacking midfielder in Germany and is more comfortable in deeper spaces where he can pick up the ball and make late runs into the box, so this could be a shrewd piece of business by the Gunners.

With Rice, Havertz and Timber all expected to complete their moves over the coming days, it’s no surprise that Arsenal fans are excited about next season. Getting hold of Arsenal tickets has always been difficult but the waiting list is growing by the day amid Arsenal’s spending spree as supporters can see Arteta is building something special.

However, after spending over £200m this summer, the clubs hierarchy are going to demand success on the pitch. Last seasons surprise title push was welcomed by the Arsenal owners, but they’ll want Arteta to go one better next season and clinch the title.