The upcoming summer transfer window is an important one for Arsenal, where the next stage of their plan to reach the top is implemented. The season just gone has shown that the Gunners are moving in the right direction, with their young talent pushing them towards the Premier League title.
While they missed out to Manchester City, the return to the Champions League adds another level of attractiveness to the project at the Emirates Stadium. There are clear areas for the side to strengthen both through their own internal solutions as well as looking externally to add to the squad.
One of those internally surrounds the long-term future of William Saliba, who stepped up to the plate in his debut season in England. The 22-year-old has 12-months remaining on his contract, with the club holding the option of an extra year, and the club's form dropping after his injury late in the campaign only strengthens his leverage in extension talks.
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The Sun reports that discussions over a new deal have been held but the Gunners have been far apart from the defender over wage demands. That could lead to some panic, but Arsenal must follow their blueprint to avoid making a mistake in agreeing to a deal that isn't on their terms.
Similar concerns could come from the Declan Rice move as football.london understands that the midfielder has become a top priority for Arsenal this summer. West Ham could set a huge price tag for their captain, despite having just 12-months remaining on his contract.
Similarly, because the opportunity is there, many may feel it best for the club to give in to the demands of the Hammers to get the deal done. In both occasions, the north London outfit may be better off following their previous examples in the transfer market, even if it means missing out on a target or losing a player.
Throughout their journey with Mikel Arteta, Arsenal have missed out on targets after a tweak in their transfer approach that saw them set an amount they are willing to reach and sticking to that, no matter the temptation to do otherwise. This has seen the side get the full value that they bargain for, without being messed around with high prices from clubs.
This was a theme of last year's summer transfer window too, where the manager discussed the potential for moves that were avoided in the end: "Yesterday we could have done something if it was the right player, the right deal, and something we could afford.
"Sometimes you have to react to something that happens, we would have done that, it was a real possibility yesterday. We tried but then we kept the discipline to say it had to be the right player for the team and the club."
The same was then followed in January as the Gunners attempted to land Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk, but didn't yield from their own valuation of the youngster. Chelsea pipped them to the winger, something that may have been seen as a disaster at the time.
"The club are the first to try and improve the players we have," Arteta said after missing out on the Ukrainian international. "We have to have some discipline and be consistent in the targets we have."
Rivals Chelsea may be the best example of not following that discipline in recent months under their new ownership, with a mixture of moves and transfer fees adding questions over the value they've managed from such transfers. In the example of Rice and Saliba this summer, the message must be the same: discipline.
Should the side miss out on Rice or lose Saliba, there's always another option such as there was Leandro Trossard to substitute for Mudryk or Gabriel Jesus when missing out on Dusan Vlahovic. Arsenal's climb to the top has come from clear values running throughout the club and that must not waver at the slightest hint of success.
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