Mikel Arteta has never been one to rest on his laurels. Even after guiding Arsenal to their first Premier League title in 22 years, the Basque manager is impressing upon the club the need to maximise their window for improvement. The club have little more than two weeks to deliver before the September 1 transfer deadline.

"We recognise the big margins that we have to be much better as a team, and much better individually. And then that has to be supported by the ambition of the club, which is there. Unquestionable," Arteta told TNT Sports shortly before kick-off in the Community Shield, a remark widely interpreted as an allusion towards the transfer market.

Defensive cover the pressing priority

If Arteta has a surfeit of attacking options, it's a different situation at the back. With William Saliba and Jurrien Timber sidelined, Arsenal had just one defender — Piero Hincapie — among the nine substitutes against Manchester City.

"We know that there are certain areas that, through injuries, we are weaker and we need to strengthen," said Arteta. "We are trying to do that; we've been trying to do that for weeks. If there is the right opportunity and the club is able to do it, we will do it."

Arsenal's primary defensive target has been Ezri Konsa, but Aston Villa are holding firm on their £60million valuation. That has led Arsenal to consider other options, such as Bayer Leverkusen's Jarell Quansah. Cristhian Mosquera performed well alongside Gabriel in the Community Shield, but Arteta will want a more established centre-back to step into the shoes of the injured Saliba.

With the start of the Premier League now just days away, a defensive signing may be considered the more pressing priority. Arteta wants to raise the ceiling but secure the floor.

Attacking surplus but quality gap remains

For all the talk of Arsenal needing a new forward, in terms of pure numbers they are well-stocked for attacking players. Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, and Reiss Nelson all failed to make the team sheet for the Community Shield.

In his post-match press conference, Arteta insisted the omissions were solely due to "technical decisions" — but Arsenal are considering offers for all of those players ahead of the transfer deadline. Nwaneri and Martinelli were with the squad in Cardiff; as Arsenal celebrated at full time, centre-back Gabriel encouraged his compatriot to join him for photos with the trophy. Martinelli declined. His omission from the squad does not augur well for his Arsenal future.

The reality is that Arsenal's issue is clearly not one of quantity, but quality. An elite forward would undoubtedly elevate their game. Despite the failure to land marquee signings such as Vinicius Junior or Morgan Rogers, Arsenal have an impressive array of depth, experience, and quality — but an A-list attacker has eluded them so far this summer and will almost certainly be required in order for the club to take the next step in the Champions League.

Arteta's relentless pursuit of improvement

Some improvement can be done on the training pitch — the sweeping changes in Arsenal's performance and medical departments speak to the manager's rapacious hunger for progress. There are other ways to improve too, and Arteta will be equally eager to preserve the defensive foundations that took them to the title.

Landing a player like Vinicius Jr might have transformed Arsenal's attacking threat, but the window's remaining weeks will test the club's ambition in the market. Every summer, Arteta impresses upon the club the need to maximise their window for improvement.

Arsenal attack the final part of the window from a position of strength. They have continuity, consistency, and — after their resounding Community Shield victory — confidence. The question now is whether the club's board can match Arteta's ambition before the deadline closes.