Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal will ‘inevitably’ lose their best players

That could prove crucial for the club’s future and Arteta is certainly confident in the direction the club is taking after committing to a new long-term deal at the Emirates.

However, the case remains that the club is no longer in contention for major honors and lacks the financial resources to compete with Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United.

Players like Bukayo Saka, Gabriel, Kieran Tierney and Martin Odegaard have all appreciated in value over the past 12 months after an impressive season with the Gunners.

And although Arteta says it remains the club’s position to keep their best players, he admits it is a reality the club must face that they cannot compete with every other club in the league.

“We want to improve the team, the squad. Of course we know that there isn’t a player who doesn’t have room to improve or develop in his playing style or career,” said Arteta.

“So we definitely want to keep our best players and we want to add more quality and depth to be more competitive.

“What we really need to be prepared for is when we’re going to do that [sell players] and why are we going to do this. We can control those times and we have the choice of when the time is right and to be prepared for it.

“So sometimes it’s negative because you can’t offer the same level of competition as it’s been offered or because you think it’s the right moment to make a move. But basically we want to keep our best players and keep them and get better.’

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