Mikel Arteta lifts lid on Arsenal's transfer plans after all but missing out on top four

Mikel Arteta says that Arsenal will have to be clever in the summer transfer window if they are to make the most of the funds they have available.

The Gunners spent over £150million to bring in six new players last summer, but are still some way off completing Arteta’s desired squad. Arsenal have let several players depart over the past year, meaning they currently have a much smaller squad than many of their rivals.

The lack of depth in Arteta’s squad has perhaps been evident in the past few games, with a 3-0 defeat by Tottenham compounded by a 2-0 loss against Newcastle on Monday. The results have seen Arsenal surrender fourth place in the Premier League to Spurs, who hold a two-point advantage going into the final game of the season on Sunday.

Arsenal now need to beat Everton and hope for a favour from bottom side Norwich, who face Spurs, if they are to end their six-year absence from the Champions League. That eventuality seems unlikely and Arteta has admitted that the fierce competition in the transfer market makes the club’s task all the more difficult this summer.

“We are going to have certain resources, not unlimited resources, some resources,” he said in Friday’s press conference. “And with our resources we have to play and do what we have to do in the best possible way. We don't know what the rest are going to have in terms of resources, which I'm assuming is going to be challenging because now it's not a top three or top four league. Now it is a top eight or 10 teams that are involved. That's why we have to find a way to do again what we did last summer.”

Arsenal could bring in as many as seven players this summer, with strikers a particular priority. Arsenal failed to find a replacement for