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Arsenal have signed three new players in the summer transfer window already and are set to add at least three more to their ranks too.
Kepa Arrizabalaga made the move across London to sign from Chelsea in a deal worth £5million, with Martin Zubimendi completing a £55million move from Real Sociedad and Christian Norgaard arriving from Brentford for £12million.
Those three players should be joined by Noni Madueke - £52million from Chelsea - Cristhian Mosquera - £16.5million from Valencia - and Viktor Gyokeres - £63.5million from Sporting CP - by the end of this week, just in time for the new faces to travel with their new teammates on the Gunners' pre-season tour of Asia.
Gyokeres is the big signing, with Arsenal crying out for a new striker for a number of transfer windows now, but sporting director Andrea Berta will also have strengthened the back line and the midfield too.
It has undoubtedly been a successful transfer window for the Gunners, but there remains something of a squad issue that may not even be solved come transfer deadline day and will leave manager Mikel Arteta with something of a juggling act.
Completing those three deals this week will mean six players have come through the Emirates Stadium entrance doors, which would suggest the squad has been significantly strengthened.
And while the calibre of players may well strengthen the look of the squad, it has not strengthened it when it comes to personnel.
That is because Arsenal have already waved goodbye to six first-team players this summer, meaning the new signings just take the place of those departed players.
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Arsenal only named a 22-man Premier League squad last season, albeit with two U21 players in Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri regularly called upon. That would leave Arteta with 24 players from which to choose for matches in the 2025/26 campaign.
That is not a bad number, all told, given Liverpool named only a 21-man squad last season, with three U21s counted upon regularly and still managed to win the Premier League title.
Liverpool did not have as many injury issues as Arsenal, however, and could rely on a smaller squad, although they have bolstered it this summer by one with four big-name signings and three exits.
If Arsenal suffer with injuries in 2025/26 similar to those they had in 2024/25, while they will have stronger players to call upon, Arteta could well find himself dealing with a threadbare squad once more, putting pressure on the few who remain while challenging for four different trophies.
More signings could yet follow, with the Gunners linked with a move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, but there are links with outgoings too, with Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli, Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko potential departures still.
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