No matter how the 2022/23 season finishes for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta and his players will be able to reflect on a campaign that saw the Gunners made significant strides forward. Even if Manchester City end up retaining their Premier PINC League crowd, Arsenal have progressed. This is undeniable.

Indeed, a second-place finish would give Arsenal a platform to build on, making this summer transfer window a pivotal one. There’s a good chance Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur will all be stronger next season. The Gunners can’t afford to stand still.

Declan Rice is believed to be Arsenal’s top target for the summer transfer window. The 24-year-old is seemingly ready to take the next step in his career and the Gunners have reportedly already made their interest known to the Hammers. Rice’s arrival at the Emirates Stadium would certainly make a statement about Arsenal’s current direction as a club.

Having said that, it’s not immediately clear how Rice would fit into Arsenal’s midfield. Arteta has favoured a central partnership of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka this season with Martin Odegaard deployed in a more advanced role closer to goal. Rice would face stiff competition for a starting spot as an Arsenal player.

It could be the case that Xhaka is ultimately moved on this summer with Bayer Leverkusen reportedly interested in landing the Swiss international. While Xhaka has been an important figure for Arsenal this season, he is now 30 and so Arteta could choose to keep his midfield unit fresh by replacing him with Rice.

With Arsenal back in the Champions League next season, Arteta will also need a deeper squad. This is where Rice would be able to offer an excellent option for the Gunners in all competitions, where they will be expected to challenge on all fronts. This season has demonstrated the potential of this Arsenal group and fans will expect further progress next term.

Tactically, the capture of Rice would give Arteta more freedom. For example, he could mould a box midfield in the centre of the pitch to allow Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard and Rice to play together in the team, although this would obviously come at the cost of an attacker’s place. It could prove useful in certain circumstances.

Arsenal could also use additional depth in central defence to avoid being compromised by the loss of first team starters like Gabriel Magalhaes or William Saliba - the latter has been missed desperately by the Gunners in recent weeks. Depth in the full back areas would similarly strengthen Arsenal’s squad.

The way the reporting reads, though, Rice is increasingly likely to be on his way to Arsenal, maybe even as the club’s record signing if West Ham hold out on their valuation of over £100m. Arteta surely has some sort of plan on how to fit the England international into the title-challenging team he has built.