Mikel Arteta has called on the Arsenal board to back him once again as he maintained they need to “upgrade” if they want to be Premier League champions.

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For the Gunners it has been a case of close, but not close enough as their wait for a top flight title goes on. The team have embarked on their pre-season tour of the US but Takehiro Tomiyasu won’t be present after suffering a knee injury. He was left in north London as a precaution while Arteta was left to bemoan his setback.

The Arsenal boss knows the need to have the majority of his players fit with the depth at the Emirates perhaps not what it is at Manchester City – the side they’re attempting to chase down.

Arteta said on Tomiyasu’s setback: “It is unbelievable, because the kid works so hard. He had an incident in training this week and we don’t know yet the extent of that injury but as a precaution we kept him [behind at London Colney]. We’ll see what happens.”

When one door closes though another one opens. Jurrien Timber signed for Arsenal 12 months ago and picked up a season-ending injury on his debut so was barely used by Arteta. His versatility across the backline is a huge asset and the Dutchman is expected to get the opportunity to make the left-back spot his own.

He may face competition from Riccardo Calafiori if Arsenal can get a deal done with Bologna. The Italian has been on their radar for several weeks and will add depth to their backline, even if he doesn’t immediately go in as a starter. Injuries to any of their starting defenders would prove problematic and Arteta is seeking to ensure they can cope with notable absentees.

The rest of the Arsenal backline is largely set in stone following a season that saw them top numerous defensive stats. William Saliba and Gabriel have established themselves as the centre-half partnership with Ben White adapting to his new right-back role.

Riccardo Calafiori is firmly on Arsenal’s radar ( 
Image:
Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)

Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are four men effectively guaranteed of a starting berth if fit. Rice was a revelation following his club-record move to the Emirates from West Ham.

Kai Havertz represents something of a dilemma despite growing in influence as the season went on. He was eventually used as a false 9 but City are the only team to win a title in the Premier League era whilst playing without a recognised striker and the lack of a prolific frontman has been cited as an issue for Arsenal.

Victor Osimhen is among those who could be on the move and would be the ideal man to spearhead Arsenal’s attack. Napoli have been linked with Romelu Lukaku and have shown a desire to cash in on their top assets for the right price.

The Havertz conundrum is an issue for Arteta. Whilst he is a class operator he didn’t have the same impact as a midfielder so Arteta faces a decision on whether to persevere with him in the middle of the pitch or sacrifice a striker and continue playing with the German at the top of the pitch.

Victor Osimhen could be a shrewd addition to Arsenal’s frontline
The smart money says that Havertz has it in him to eventually blossom into a quality midfielder, potentially a 10. The issue is then how he fits in alongside Odegaard. Playing with two playmakers could leave Rice exposed, although the Englishman continues to grow with each passing season and may well be able to operate solo, like Rodri does at City, if he has players around him who will work off the ball – something Arteta will almost certainly demand.

Jorginho, despite his age, proved to be a great partner for Rice in the middle of the pitch but is unlikely to play week in, week out. Leandro Trossard’s quality also presents him as an option, but the Belgian is poised to be used as part of the front three.