Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has suggested that no more than three new faces will arrive at the club this summer, sparking a mixed reaction from supporters.
One of those three new faces is Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka, who continues to receive plenty of praise for his performances at Euro 2016 this summer.
While he adds quality and depth in the Gunners midfield following the departures of Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky, Wenger will arguably be looking at other areas of his squad to strengthen moving forward.
“We’ve already bought one player, Xhaka, from Monchengladbach,” Wenger said, as reported by ESPN FC. “So we’ve bought one midfielder and we’re still on the market to buy one or two more players. But it is not easy.
“It is not just buying. We also have to keep a good balance. If you buy too many players you destabilise your team. So three is the maximum.”
On the face of it, his comments are asking for trouble. Disillusioned Arsenal supporters want to see major changes at the club this summer with the Frenchman set to remain, and that includes somewhat of a squad overhaul.
Despite finishing second in the Premier League season, Arsenal will face fierce competition next year with Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United all appointing new managers and looking to make big moves in the transfer market.
Add champions Leicester City, Tottenham and Liverpool to the mix, and the pressure really is on the top clubs next year to book a top-four spot let alone win the title.
However, Arsenal arguably already have a strong spine to their current squad and plenty of talented individuals around them, so how many new signings are really needed?
If Wenger can sign two elite players to complete his window, a commanding central defender and a prolific striker, would it be so bad?
It was always unrealistic to expect him to oversee a complete rebuild as he simply won’t do it, so strengthening in key areas with the right players could push the club up to the next level.
In an ideal world, every football fan wants to see their club splash the cash in the transfer market and sign the best players available to them each and every year.
Although Wenger has made an early statement of intent with the signing of Xhaka, he needs to get the next two signings right if that’s all the business he’ll be doing ahead of next season. It might not seem a lot, but quality over quantity in those crucial areas of the squad that fans have been screaming out for reinforcements in, could be enough for the Gunners.