When Arsenal return for pre-season as Mikel Arteta sets Stan Kroenke major transfer demand

After a long season many of Arsenal's players and staff are now enjoying a much-needed break. It was a busy campaign for Mikel Arteta who oversaw the overhaul of his squad by bringing in Aaron Ramsdale, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Martin Odegaard last summer.

The Gunners also had several players leave the club with Joe Willock, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Calum Chambers, Willian, Sead Kolasinac, Matteo Guendouzi, Dani Ceballos, Mat Ryan and David Luiz all exiting on a permanent basis and several other players heading out on loan.

With a squad more in his image, Arteta begun to bring a style of football to the Emirates that the majority of fans appear to be fully behind, despite the fact that Arsenal missed out on Champions League football to their local rivals Tottenham on the final day of the season. However, the job is by no means done.

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When asked about what Gunners fan can expect this summer, Arteta revealed that he and Edu are likely to be busy. "We want to take the club to the next level," the Spaniard said in his press conference ahead of the final game of the season against Everton. "That's the ambition. In order to do that we have a very clear plan again, how we want to do it and execute it, and there are no secrets. We need resources and we need to increase the quality and the depth of the squad."

Arsenal's owners are understood to have promised Arteta the investment required to take the team from being a Europa League side to a Champions League one next season. The preparations for that crucial campaign are set to get underway very soon.

The Gunners are set to return