What have Arsenal done so far this summer window?

The answer is not very much to be honest; Arsenal have to put the pedal to the floor. And while the team has signed another young left-back to help to shore up the backline and provide cover for Kieran Tierney, Arsenal have not been massive movers and shakers since losing out on Emi Buendia.

Mikel Arteta needs backup for the players that he has and has many players to offload as well; while deals can get done in a hurry once things get on the proper course, they need to first simply get going at any speed. Time is on their side, however.

That may have already occurred with the singing of the aforementioned Nuno Tavares from Benfica, yet it will now have to snowball in order for Arsenal to avoid losing out on all the most useful players available during this transfer window. Central defender Ben White could very well be next from Brighton which would further improve matters in front of Bernd Leno.

Who might the midfield names be once Albert Sambi Lokonga finally gets over the line? Many of the familiar ones you’ll have read from previous pieces of mine, ranging from Yves Bissouma, Houssem Aouar and Julian Brandt, to newcomers to the rumor mill like Manuel Locatelli of Sassuolo and Renato Sanches of Lille, would all be fine additions for the club.

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What have Arsenal done so far this summer window? So far there hasn’t been much in the way of new signings with so much to do, but they’re getting there

Yet given the number of rumored names to be leaving the club, there could be money and space on the depth chart to really innovate the club with different talent and creative form.

The list is not short. While David Luiz is already gone, his former Brazilian international teammate Willian will (hopefully) be off to the United States to play out his career. Granit Xhaka is leaving, Lucas Torreira, Sead Kolasinac and countless others, too. Alexandre Lacazette is not guaranteed to remain either with young talent emerging seemingly week in and out, while Hector Bellerin has been linked to a move to Inter Milan.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles likely won’t be here anymore either, despite my wishes to the contrary, and more names could still find themselves gone, yet certainly not Emile Smith Rowe.

Those are a good amount of players who have formerly played large roles in the club’s function. That many of them will surely not be with us any longer as the new season begins is a positive thing in some ways, while a deeply negative thing in other ways.

There is still a long way to go in this summer window and while so far it’s been predominantly ‘edging closer’ and ‘interested in’, there are clear signs of a strategy in place and an intent to follow through with it.

While Arsenal have not sunk to the lowest depths possible, there is no doubt that they have sunk lower than they’ve been in decades. While FA Cup trophies and Community Shields are good, they are not Premier League trophies or European championships. That is what Arsenal want moving forward and unless they can get the right pieces into the club, there will simply be no chance for these innovations to occur.

Arteta knows this, and this is why he continues to tinker with the club. Eddie Nketiah, Folarin Balogun, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, to name just a handful, are only going to influence this team more and more, and so they need the right veteran leadership and skill around them to continue to grow and accentuate them.

Signings like were previously mentioned will help, yet getting rid of players who do not fit what we need anymore is equally as important. It will allow for these names to get onto the pitch more, to learn and to have the impact all know they’re capable of.

These dual processes should help to push Arsenal in the proper direction both this year as well as going forward, which is critical, for Arteta will not have too much time left if he should register another disappointing season, especially one without trophies. For the faithful of Arsenal, this would obviously be disastrous, and so we should all hope that it does not come to pass by taking strides this summer window.