Arsenal: 10-step summer plan to solve team

Trust young players to step up

Ultimately, given the financial restrictions on the team and the extent of support and investment that is required throughout the squad, it will be extremely difficult for Arsenal to reclaim a top-four finish without developing the players that they already have at the club. This is, of course, where Mikel Arteta enters the fray, and, no matter the recruitment that is made, he will have to make the most of the talent at his disposal.

At present, this means getting the best out of a thoroughly intriguing and potentially elite group of young players. Starting Gabriel Martinelli as the lone centre-forward and asking him to conduct the Alexandre Lacazette role. Replacing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with Bukayo Saka on the left-wing. Having Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson provide depth and support across the front line. Use Emile Smith Rowe and Joe Willock to bolster central midfield if and when injuries hit.

Put simply, Arsenal will sink or swim based on the progression that their young players make. If Martinelli can be a 10-plus-goal per season centre-forward, if Saka can be a lethal creative wide option, if Nketiah can chip in with crucial goals throughout the year, and Nelson can take a step forward as a more prominent option off the bench, then maybe the team is ready to challenge for the top four.

But they are, of course, big ifs. The likelihood of them all coming up trumps is small. That, though, is the fact of the matter for Arsenal. Without their young talent stepping up, they will not be a top-four team. So, it is time to lean into this crop of prospect and hope that they, under Arteta’s guidance, can deliver.