This summer transfer window for Arsenal has been in the making for five years.
And according to Baas Mikel Arteta it becomes a “big”.
Arteta took over in December 2019 and hurled its way through the first term of the roller coaster and ended with an eighth placed Premier League finish and FA Cup Glory.
In September 2020, his title changed his head coach to manager, and the Spaniard made up his five -year plan to transform the club into challengers for major awards.
Since then, four summer windows have come and disappeared, plus a huge lut and reconstruction process that the team of North Londoners does not see unrecognizable from the start of Arteta's reign.
Summer no. 5 is only two months away and the Gunners finds painfully close to the end of their title dryness, which is probably just short of a third year in a row with Liverpool 12 points for them to go with nine games.
As a result, this window is completely about the missing pieces of the puzzle.
The first part may have already been through the door – new sports director Andrea Berta who is starting to work in London Colney this week.
And the Italian, in addition to a leadership team that includes Arteta, will now be charged with doing what its predecessor Edu has never succeeded in elite still elusive game-changing no. 9 countries.
Splash £ 100 million or more for Newcastle star Alexander Isak, 25?
Even more for the 22-year-old Hugo Ekitike van Eintracht Frankfurt?
Between £ 50 million and £ 60 million for Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres, 26 or 25-year-old Wolves star Matheus Cunha?
Or in the region of £ 70 million to £ 80 million for Benjamin Sesko from Red Bull Leipzig who is still only 21?
Whoever it is, Arteta is ready to grow up this summer.
He explained: “It will be a big one and we are very enthusiastic about it.
“The way we had planned the five first summers would be very big and they would have different objectives.
“In the beginning there were many players with three, four or five -year contracts, so the team's reversal and how you visualize in the next five years was very dependent on that.
“There are certain positions that we did not expect that someone like Ethan Nwaneri or Myles Lewis-Skelly will contribute, which was great.
“The way you start evolving, you start to control certain things, then the changes cannot be that much. That is where we are.
“The line is now thinner, the margins are smaller. But the costs are also increasing. So it goes a bit in a different direction.
“We want to increase the depth of the team, but we also want to increase the quality and skills that we need to go to the next step.
“It is a big summer for many things, because we first have to maintain the right basis that we have and in any case how we can improve and evolve the team.”
'A big addition'
Berta, 53, introduced himself to journalists in London Colney prior to the Arteta press conference, a preview of tonight's home collision with Fulham.
He is a calm, modest man, who prefers to stay out of the spotlight and let his work talk, just as he did in Atletico Madrid for more than ten years, recruit players and Squadrons who won Laliga in 2014 and 2021 and reached two Champions League finals.
Berta is ready to shake up the status quo of the transfer team, including director Richard Garlick, executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis, co-owners Stan and Josh Kroenke and director of football activities James King.
Arteta said: “It is a big addition to the club, to the team, a team that has already been formed with many great people. That is what we need. New blood with people who are so ambitious.
“He has this personality, this charisma and this drive to win that will be very contagious.
“What we want to do is clear, because [Berta] To jump on board and hopefully turn and make it better. I am confident that he will make everyone better. I want to add value.
“Immediately the words that come from Berta always win, improve and demanding. He is very honest, very simple.
“There is a very clear vision of what he wants to do.
“He was so willing to come to us, which is also very positive because he had many other options and he chose to come to us.
“And now it is about giving him the support and understanding of the situation and context immediately.
“And to start with what he has done at the highest level for many, many years, which has been very impressive.
“To have people with different expertise, experiences and they have already done it. It is very, very useful.”
Arsenal has confirmed that they will play the first North London derby outside the UK on 31 July in a collision for the season against Tottenham in Hong Kong.
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