Is THIS how Arsenal will line-up next season? Mikel Arteta has several new faces to fit in as Gunners near £200m summer spend in bid to overhaul Premier League champions Liverpool

Arsenal have spent nearly £200 million during the busy summer transfer window as they aim to end a five-year trophy drought. Signings Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, and Kepa Arrizabalaga have already bolstered the squad, while Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, and Viktor Gyokeres (after a prolonged saga with Sporting Lisbon) are set to complete moves to the Emirates. Eberechi Eze also remains a target.

The Gunners have finished third in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons, coming agonizingly close by falling just two points short of Manchester City in 2023/24, before finishing ten points behind Liverpool last season. While they impressed in the Champions League, reaching the semi-finals for the first time in 16 years and notably beating Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, manager Mikel Arteta has not won major silverware since lifting the FA Cup in his debut 2020 season.

Last season's challenge was hampered by long-term injuries to attackers Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli, forcing midfielder Mikel Merino into an emergency striker role during the crucial second half of the campaign. The club has moved quickly to address this lack of depth, with Gyokeres' impending arrival seen as the final piece of the puzzle.

Questions remain about how Arsenal will line up next season, including whether Merino will be rewarded for his emergency duty with a place on the bench, and how new signings like the £55m Madueke, Norgaard, and Zubimendi will fit into the team.