No excuses for Arsenal! Mikel Arteta's side must fight for the title again after £200m-plus summer transfer splurge on Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber

Arsenal have moved quickly to strengthen their squad, starting with the addition of Germany forward Kai Havertz. Chelsea sanctioned the 24-year-old's sale to their London rivals for £65m ($82m), posting a small loss on their initial £72m ($91m) investment in his talents three years earlier.

In truth, the Blues did very well to get such a handsome fee for Havertz, who largely flattered to deceive during his time at Stamford Bridge. He scored memorable winning goals in the 2021 Champions League and 2022 Club World Cup finals, but never really delivered on a consistent basis.

Arteta is confident that he's signed a diamond, though. “Kai is a player of top quality,” he said after the deal with Chelsea was confirmed. “He has great versatility and is an intelligent player. He will bring a huge amount of extra strength to our midfield and variety to our play."

Havertz will likely slot in on the left of Arsenal's midfield three, as a replacement for the outgoing Granit Xhaka, and it's almost a certainty that he will have Declan Rice playing next to him, with the West Ham star sealing a British-record £105m ($133m) move to the Emirates. It has been reported that Thomas Partey will also be leaving Arsenal this summer, meaning Rice will slot straight into the heart of Arteta's line up.

Forking out a nine-figure sum for a defensive midfielder that has yet to play at the highest level of the club game is a risk. It remains to be seen whether Rice will be a transformative addition to Arteta's ranks, but it should at least be an easy transition to north London for him given the presence of his England team-mates Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Emile Smith Rowe.

Arsenal took their summer outlay past the £200m ($253m) mark with the acquisition of Ajax defender Jurrien Timber in a £40m ($51m) switch. It's not immediately clear where Arteta will look to deploy the Dutchman, though.

Timber is unlikely to dislodge William Saliba in the heart of the Gunners' backline, but he is also versatile enough to slot in at right-back, perhaps ahead of both White and Takehiro Tomiyasu. For the money that Arsenal are spending on the 22-year-old, it would be a waste if he were to just take up a back-up role.

The Gunners are banking on all three players becoming vital cogs in Arteta's system. And if any of them fall short of expectations, the Spanish tactician will face some uncomfortable questions.

"When we had the full team, we were consistent," Arteta added to Marca when discussing Arsenal's failed title bid. "As soon as problems came, we couldn't be consistent. And then our rival was the best team in the world; the best squad in the world; the best coach in the world... We had no choice but to accept it and shake hands with the champion."

It's true that Arsenal had bad luck with injuries. Saliba sustained a season-ending back issue in March, and Rob Holding couldn't match the Frenchman's high standards after coming in to fill his position. Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Tomiyasu and Elneny also missed large portions of the season as the Gunners' squad depth was tested to the limit. An overall lack of experience in the dressing room was a limiting factor, too.

Arteta attempted to instil a winning mentality by signing Jesus and Zinchenko last summer, having worked with the pair during his time as Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City. They made a huge impact initially, but couldn't carry Arsenal over the finishing line.

The likes of Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Partey, Xhaka and Gabriel Magalhaes all allowed their levels to dip down the final straight, most notably during the Gunners' 4-1 loss to City at the Etihad Stadium. They weren't ready for the rigorous demands of an end-of-season title run-in.

But they should be next time. Arsenal's younger players could end up being far stronger after experiencing the heartbreak that comes after giving so much for no reward. “Time is on our side. You can look at our team and a lot of the players are young," Saka said in a sit-down with Gunners legend Ian Wright at the end of May. "We’re hungry, and a lot of us haven’t won trophies at Arsenal so we want to achieve big things. If you watch the way we all speak, we want to win and we want to win here."

Arsenal's rise to the top of the Premier League was made all the more remarkable by the fact they were competing in the Europa League until mid-March. This meant that they only had two full days to recover for Premier League games after their European exertions on Thursdays.

Arteta's side coped with the rigorous fixture schedule admirably in the first half of the season, but they were beginning to run out of steam physically by the time they faced Sporting CP in the last 16. The Gunners earned a hard-fought 2-2 draw in the first leg of the tie at the José Alvalade Stadium, but couldn't finish the job at the Emirates.

The two teams were locked level at 1-1 after 120 minutes of the second leg, and penalties were needed to decide who made it through to the quarter-finals. Sporting held their nerve to win the shootout 5-3, and Arsenal looked absolutely shattered to a man by the time it was all over, and the wheels then inevitably came off for the Gunners in the Premier League over the next few weeks. Juggling European and domestic commitments eventually took its toll.

Arsenal will face a similar task in 2023-24 when they return to the Champions League after a six-year absence, but the turnaround between matches will be easier to manage. Europe's elite competition is staged on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, which will give the Gunners plenty of time to regroup for their bread-and-butter duties in the English top flight.

Ramsdale is among those relishing the opportunity to test himself against the best. "We want to go and fight properly in the Champions League next season and every passing year is an experience for us to get better.” the Arsenal goalkeeper recently told The Telegraph. "A new pressure will now come."

How the Gunners handle that pressure will dictate whether or not they reach a higher level as a collective in 2023-24.

Arsenal have taken all the necessary steps to ensure that the core of their current squad remains intact for years to come. Gabriel was first to commit his long-term future to the club last October, as he signed an extension that will keep him in north London until 2027. Martinelli agreed to the same extension in February, while Ramsdale accepted a three-year renewal in May, shortly before Saka also signed a new four-year deal. Tying down Saliba is the next priority for Arsenal, with the France international's current contract due to expire in 2024. Saliba has already agreed to remain at the club for an extra three years, and an official announcement is due before the start of pre-season.

Current Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is also reportedly set for talks over a new deal. The Norwegian is under contract until 2025 as it stands, and the Gunners have a one-year extension option, but they are eager to secure his services through to 2030. And Odegaard is certainly buying into Arteta's long-term vision.

"There are no limits on what we can achieve. No one can tell me otherwise," he told the Players' Tribune at the start of the year. “I’m so proud to be captain of this club and I feel like I’m going to be here a long time.”

Arteta has done everything within his power to limit the risk of any potential suitors luring away his best players, and he will continue to do so. Continuity in terms of personnel will be crucial if Arsenal are to build on the foundations they put down in 2022-23.

But the Gunners' faith in these players will only be properly justified if the silverware begins to roll in over the next few years. The long-term contracts will be scrutinized in great detail if the likes of Saka and Gabriel go missing when it really matters again.

Arsenal scored an impressive 88 goals across their 38 Premier League games last term, just six fewer than top scorers City, despite lacking a natural No.9. Jesus did okay in that role, finding the net on 11 occasions, but the Gunners had to rely on their other attackers during his injury-enforced absence between November and March.

Odegaard and Martinelli led the way with 15 goals a piece, while Saka notched 14 and Xhaka managed a respectable career-best haul of seven. But the Gunners will need more firepower to close the gap on City and reach the latter stages of the Champions League.

Arteta has one option at his disposal already in the form of Folarin Balogun. The 22-year-old was sent out on loan to Ligue 1 outfit Reims last season, and exceeded all expectations. Reims finished up in 11th place, but likely would have been dragged into a relegation dogfight were it not for Balogun's goals. The striker netted 21 times in 37 league appearances, eight goals behind eventual Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe.

And naturally, there is now widespread curiosity as to whether Balogun could be even more prolific if he gets the chance to lead the line for a top club. Arsenal still have him tied to a contract until 2025, but speculation over his future has been raging.

"He’s got something special, that’s why we gave him a long-term contract and have faith in him," Arteta said of Balogun in February. The Arsenal boss then vowed that the club would sit down with the talented young forward at the end of the season to "plan the next chapter in his developing career".

Said plan has not yet been outlined, as Balogun confirmed after helping the United States men's national team to CONCACAF Nations League glory. "What I can say is that I definitely won’t go on loan again," he said. "I’m not sure [about] the discussions that are going to take place, I’m not sure what’s going to happen."

Balogun pledged his international allegiance to the U.S. over England in May, which has only served to raise his profile around the world. If Arsenal decide to sanction a sale, he won't be short of options. AC Milan, Inter, Juventus and Marseille are among the clubs to have been linked with Balogun, while Crystal Palace have been tipped to try and lure him across London. And Arsenal's final decision could have a huge bearing on how well they do next season.

If the Gunners let Balogun go, there will be no margin for error. It would be a shame for Arteta to not at least give him the chance to show what he can do in a central-striker role at the Emirates.

If Balogun ends up shining elsewhere while Arsenal suffer a decline in their attacking output, Arteta will come under the spotlight. He has nothing to lose by bringing him back, and the gamble could pay huge dividends.

Now that the deals for Rice and Timber are sewn up, Arsenal will continue to look for new recruits. The club is currently in a strong financial position after qualifying for the Champions League and reportedly getting their wage bill under control, and more money is there for Arteta to bolster the squad.

With Partey and Xhaka set to be on the move, it may be necessary for Arsenal to target at least one more midfielder to ensure that they have enough strength in depth. Brighton's Moises Caicedo is still thought to be of interest to the Gunners, who saw two big-money bids for the Ecuadorian rejected in the January transfer window, but there are cheaper options on the market.

Southampton's Romeo Lavia is one of them, with the 19-year-old set to leave St Mary's following the club's relegation to the Championship. The Belgian is reportedly being valued at around £50m ($63m), which would be a bargain price for a player of his burgeoning talent.

However, Arsenal could be beaten to the punch for Lavia if they wait too long, as Liverpool are thought to be readying a formal offer for the teenager, who has also been linked with Chelsea. Celta Vigo's Gabri Viega has been mooted as an alternative target for the Gunners, while Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby is also said to be on their radar.

In defence, Arsenal could decide to reignite their interest in Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda, and Crystal Palace and England centre-half Marc Guehi has been named as a possible replacement for Holding, who is set to join the Gunners' list of summer outgoings.

Another potential raid on City will be exciting Arsenal fans the most, though, as recent reports suggest that Arteta could try to bring in Joao Cancelo. The Portugal international spent the second half of last season on loan at Bayern Munich after falling out of favour with Guardiola, and City are now reportedly eager to sell him outright.

Cancelo's ability to operate on both sides of the defence and midfield would make him a useful asset for the Gunners, and like Jesus and Zinchenko, he knows exactly what it takes to win trophies. For Arsenal to even be considering such high-profile names after already effectively sealing three huge deals just goes to show how ambitious they are.

But by spending big, you open yourself up to criticism. Arsenal's excuses for failure last term just about held up, despite the fact the title was very much in their hands. No one will have any sympathy if they fail to progress next season, though, and Arteta's job could also come under threat.

Are Arsenal on the cusp of a glorious new era? Or are they destined to go down as the Premier League's greatest-ever pretenders? All will be revealed over the next 12 months.