Having seen Arsenal drop out of the top four in the Premier League for the last two consecutive seasons, Unai Emery will be fully aware of the task ahead.
The Spaniard will inherit a talented but underperforming squad from Arsene Wenger, while crucial reinforcements will arguably be needed on the basis of their performance last year.
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Arsenal conceded 51 goals in 38 league games, giving them the worst defensive record of the top seven sides, and so it’s evident that Emery may need to address that by bringing in new signings.
However, according to The Telegraph, the new Gunners boss is keen to make Aaron Ramsey central to his plans at the Emirates, and given he has just a year remaining on his current contract, it’s claimed that sorting out his future with a possible wage hike is of paramount importance to Emery and it could impact what the club do this summer.
Given his technical quality and threat from midfield, it’s arguably easy to see why Emery would value the Welshman so highly as he could prove to be a fundamental part of his side.
The 27-year-old joined Arsenal in 2008, and has gone on to make 327 appearances for the club, making 30 outings or more in the past seven consecutive campaigns while reaching double figures in goals on three occasions, including this past year.
In turn, that proves he can play a pivotal role for Arsenal in the coming years, and particularly with Emery seemingly high on him, he’ll hope that the former Sevilla and PSG boss can help take his game to the next level too.
Shoring up the defence surely has to be a priority for Emery, but based on this report, securing Ramsey’s long-term future is high on his to-do list and it remains to be seen how that effects their ability to bring in new faces this summer.