Mikel Arteta has stressed that Arsenal need to "nail" their summer transfer business in order to ensure their title challenge doesn't become a flash in the pan.
The Gunners have shocked fans and pundits alike for the majority of the year by rivalling Manchester City in the title race and, at one point, even looked nailed on to clinch their first Premier League crown since 2004.
After slipping up in the final weeks of the season, Arsenal are set to end the campaign in second place. However, expectations are already sky high at the Emirates Stadium ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Arsenal's summer transfer budget is set for a sizeable boost after the club qualified for the Champions League for the first time in six years. Arteta is believed to be in the market for quality reinforcements in midfield and defence - and the Spaniard has made it clear that the club have to deliver in the transfer market in order to sustain their recent success.
Speaking on Friday, he said: "We have to nail everything that we do and we have to seek excellence in everything that we touch and participate in [so] that it’s going to have a big impact at the club.
"Obviously I think the competition is going to be even harder next season than this season – that in my opinion has been the hardest in the 22 years that I’ve been in this league.
"In order to do that, we have a really promising plan. We may need to reflect a little bit, take a step back, make sure that this is the right one and go again with more determination and hunger in the tummies to do even better."
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Arteta's pointed warning ahead of the summer transfer window comes just weeks after he held impromptu talks with Gunners co-owner Josh Kroenke.
Kroenke was in attendance at the Emirates Stadium for the 3-0 loss against Brighton earlier this month; a result that ended Arsenal's title hopes. Reports at the time indicated that the American went down and spoke with Arteta privately after the match.
West Ham captain Declan Rice is Arsenal's top target and the midfielder is expected to depart the London Stadium in the coming weeks. The Hammers value their talisman at around £100million and other clubs are also interested in acquiring his services; Mirror Football understands, though, that Rice favours a move to the Emirates and is expected to communicate that to the West Ham hierarchy imminently.
The Hammers wrap up their Premier League campaign against Leicester on Sunday before heading to Prague for the Europa Conference League final.
