Arsenal might have missed out on Champions League football last season, but they have been doing everything they can to avoid a repeat.
Mikel Arteta has made a number of significant additions to his squad, with more than £100m spent on new signings. The Gunners have seen plenty of benefit from some of the new arrivals, too, with Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko both looking like smart pick-ups after joining from Manchester City.
With the Emirates Cup against Sevilla on the horizon, followed by a Premier League opener at Crystal Palace on August 5, Arteta may want to do even more with his squad in the days to come. Here are the latest news lines coming from north London.
Zinchenko hands warning to teammates
Oleksandr Zinchenko has warned his Arsenal teammates not to read too much into their pre-season demolition of Chelsea. The Ukrainian made his first appearance for the club in the 4-0 victory, in which four different players found the net for Mikel Arteta's side.
"In terms of the game, of course, we did well, but there is still a couple of things we can improve," the £30m man said. "4-0 is a great result, but this is a friendly and in the Premier League it will be different. I hope the result will be the same, but we need to work hard."
Arsenal finished just five points behind Chelsea in the league last season, with the gap enough for Thomas Tuchel's Blues to end up two places clear of the Gunners. Zinchenko has already admitted to enjoying life at his new club, speaking of the "unbelievable" quality in the squad, but the real test will come when the competitive games begin.
Tielemans left in limbo
Leicester City's chairman has confirmed the club have yet to receive an offer for Arsenal midfield target Youri Tielemans. The news raises further questions over the future of the Belgian, who has also been linked with Manchester United among others.
The former Monaco star has been one of Leicester's more impressive performers, helping them finish fifth in 2019-20 and 2020-21. With a year left on his deal, there had been suggestions he might be allowed to leave for a knock-down price, but it is unclear whether this will be the case.
"It's nothing. There haven't been any offers yet," Foxes chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said. "There hasn't been anything concrete or a proposition yet."
Saliba agent meets Marseille chief
While Arsenal continue to see William Saliba in their plans, Marseille don't appear to have given up on signing the centre-back. Indeed, the player's agent Djibril Niang has dined with L'OM president Pablo Longoria in London as questions over the defender's future continue to linger.
Saliba was a revelation at Marseille last season, winning Ligue 1's young player of the year award in an eye-catching loan spell. The defender's performances even earned him a first senior France cap, and he is in contention for Didier Deschamps' World Cup squad.
Nevertheless, Arsenal have no intention of letting the player leave. Saliba played 90 minutes of the friendly victory over Chelsea, with manager Mikel Arteta saying "I am really pleased to see the way he is playing".
