Arsenal’s summer transfer strategy is to add depth to Mikel Arteta’s options, rather than to add superstars to raise the level of the first-choice lineup.

Paul Hirst reports for The Times that Arsenal’s summer transfer strategy is to provide Mikel Arteta with more options.

The aim is to have a squad that has enough strength in depth that Arteta can feel comfortable to rotate more than he did in 2023/24 without Arsenal losing their edge.

The result is seemingly that Arsenal are less likely to make a signing like Declan Rice for £100m this time around, and more likely to pursue players like Mikel Merino for a quarter of the price.

The Gunners are trying to raise the floor, not the ceiling.

It’s true that Arsenal were very reliant on a few players last season. Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, Kai Havertz, William Saliba, and Declan Rice all made at least 35 Premier League appearances in 38 games.

David Raya probably would have joined that list if he’d joined Arsenal a bit earlier and wasn’t ineligible for the games against Brentford.

On the one hand, it’s great that those nine players were available for Arsenal so consistently in 2023/24. The Gunners are clearly doing something right when it comes to avoiding injuries.

Yet there’s always an element of luck on the fitness front, and Arsenal can’t keep relying on having every starter available all season.

Riccardo Calafiori could be the exception to Arsenal’s general summer strategy, as left-back is a rare area for improvement for Arteta’s side. No one held down the role consistently last season.

But after signing the Bologna defender, the expectation is that Arsenal will move to sign alternatives to their current starters rather than upgrades.