DONE:Arsenal will sign 'exciting and extraordinary' forward after Rice and Timber 'Deal' at the Emirates

While excitement levels at Arsenal peak around the Declan Rice deal this week and the club also preparing to conclude an agreement with Jurrien Timber as their third permanent signing of the summer, it is inevitable that fans begin to wonder what happens next.

Where do they strengthen next? Is this squad genuinely good enough to be defined as title-worthy for the new campaign?

It shouldn’t be too long before we see phase two of Arsenal’s transfer window click into gear.

After these three deals, insiders at the club expect a little break while they focus on exits that need to happen, but that we will see them re-enter the market to put the finishing touches to the squad.

It’s an exciting time to be an Arsenal fan and two more signings would be realistic, from noises coming out of the club right now.

There are issues that need to be sorted. Departures need to happen and potential bids from other clubs for players in the plans also have to be dealt with. An example of this would be Gabriel, who has been the focus of admiring glances for Paris Saint-Germain.

There is no suggestion yet that he will leave, but at the same time it is not impossible as PSG launch their latest project under new boss Luis Enrique. But these are the little situations that may crop up as pre-season gets underway and Arsenal are fully prepared to make sure Mikel Arteta has the squad he wants and needs in place.

When looking at how to improve the team for 2023/24 sources have indicated that Arteta wanted the core of his team to be much stronger. That physicality is a key aspect that Arteta wanted to focus on and while Havertz doesn’t really fit that bill, Timber and Rice do have those battling, front-footed traits.

Let’s check in on which areas are likely to be considered for strengthening in the next phase of this team build…