Mikel Arteta was asked after Sunday's defeat by Borussia Dortmund whether Arsenal supporters should expect more signings before the season starts. "Well, that's what we're trying to do," he said. "It has to be the right player in the market to make us much better. We are very much looking forward to that." It was a short answer to a question that has narrowed sharply in the past week. The champions know exactly what they are short of. They have also, inside a few days, been turned away on both counts.
What the title was built on
Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the league title last season with 85 points, and they did it from the back. They conceded 27 goals in 38 matches, the fewest in the division and eight fewer than the runners-up, Manchester City. That is the platform Arteta is now trying to reassemble without William Saliba, which is why a pre-season in which his side have conceded three goals in consecutive matches has been read as something more than August noise.
The winger who is not coming