Arteta facing brutal Arsenal reality as Andrea Berta agrees on three transfers

Mikel Arteta needs to replenish his Arsenal side after a disappointing season and the Gunners boss has already identified the areas he wants to strengthen this summer as they prepare for PSG

The Champions League campaign has been Arsenal’s salvation this season. That is why it will be judgement day for Mikel Arteta in the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.

If Arsenal can turn the semi-final tie with Paris Saint Germain around and reach the Champions League final then it will be seen as another terrific year for Arteta. But if they bow out even at this late stage of the competition, this season will ultimately be viewed as a major backward step for the Gunners.

Arsenal have got a lot of work to do after losing the semi final first leg to Ousmane Dembele’s decisive first half strike. T homas Partey is back from suspension but PSG have looked even stronger at home this season. It is a daunting task.

The best thing you can say about last week’s tie at the Emirates is that at least Arsenal are still in with a shout because they were hugely disappointing on the night. Sadly for Arsenal, that was in keeping with a frustrating and disappointing season which has seen them fall short in the title race, go out of the domestic cups and pin all their hopes on Europe.

It will be the cue for a major summer of change at the Emirates when Arteta - along with new sporting director Andrea Berta - will target at least THREE major signings. They believe it is a done deal for Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi as the £51m midfielder is set to arrive at the Emirates.

Arsenal have made a new No9 their top priority with Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyökeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko more realistic targets than Newcastle ’s Alexander Isak. Arsenal also want a left winger and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams is their dream ticket but the squad also needs a shake-up with likely departures of Oleksandr Zinchenko while Jorginho and Kieran Tierney are set to go while they want Espanyol’s Joan Garcia a new No2 keeper..

The reality is that Arsenal have gone backwards this season and they need to hit the reset button this summer - no matter what happens in the Champions League. Arsenal were Manchester City ’s closest title challengers in the last two seasons. But were not ready when Pep Guardiola ’s men faltered this time. Liverpool stepped up, Arsenal wilted.

Arteta can point to injuries and refereeing decisions as to reasons why Arsenal have not lived up to expectations this season. But surely the manager must take some responsibility for the number of hamstring and muscle injuries this season because that should set alarm bells ringing about overtraining and overplaying.

Bukayo Saka, Brazil defender Gabriel and Kai Havertz have all undergone surgery on hamstring injuries this season and all three were heavily relied upon, played virtually every game and it should be no surprise that they got injured.

Any other manager would be facing questions about the red zone, players playing too many games and yet Arteta seems to be left off rather lightly in this regard.

Yes, it is an issue across the board and the global calendar needs a review but Havertz suffered his injury in a mid-season warm weather training camp in Dubai when the players probably could have done with a week off and their feet up on the sofa.

The constant moaning about referees has become tiresome. They were on the receiving end of some bad calls, most notably Declan Rice being sent off against Brighton and Myles Lewis-Skelly at Wolves.

But there is no agenda against Arsenal and other clubs feel equally hard done by. It has just become another excuse and the negative is that players use that as a reason for underperforming.

It all plays into an underwhelming season of disappointment and frustration. Arsenal can turn the mood around in Paris and yet even then they will need a big summer of change. But if they go out in the second leg, then there can be no argument that Arsenal have gone backwards this season.