How Arsenal won the title: Boats, fire, an AI song and long-term plans coming to fruition

For Arteta, building a legacy of sustainable success is his passion. Winning once is impressive, but doing it again is the sign of a truly great team.

With the Spaniard’s contract expiring at the end of next season, the immediate priority for all parties is to reach an agreement on an extension.

This process is ongoing and will accelerate after the Champions League final with all parties keen to finalize the new contract before next season.

The expectation is that Arteta will sign a new contract that will give him a sharp increase in his base financial package of £10 million per season and a further £5 million for Champions League qualification.

There has also been some internal talk that Berta will likely be in talks to extend his contract in connection with possible moves to Saudi Arabia.

Arsenal is now a club shaped in Arteta’s image; The job title will change from head coach to manager in September 2020.

The coach is part of the football leadership team consisting of Kroenke, Garlick, James King and Berta. It is the group of five people who decide the course of football in the club.

Arteta’s coaching staff is like him; passionate and intense, even the analysts are shouting from the stands.

The coach was joined last summer by his long-time friend and former teammate, assistant coach Gabriel Heinze. The Argentinian has made a huge impact this season and has been a motivational huddle for the defenders before each game.

Arteta is very hands-on and knows when to make an impact on his players with a strong response and when to coach.

But he’s also become good at delegating, holding sessions so the entire backroom team doesn’t get tired of hearing just one voice.

Now Arteta has guided this group to silverware; focus can shift to the next campaign.

Arsenal are looking to land a midfielder, left winger and striker, but we should expect a greater focus on spending after last year’s £250m splurge.

The only senior player to leave the team last summer was Albert Lokonga.

This time Arsenal agreed to sell defender Jakub Kiwior to Porto for £14.7 million as a starter. It is understood Christian Norgaard, who has agreed a deal worth £15 million, will be allowed to leave and the club is expected to listen to offers for Ben White, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira.

Arsenal are also considering a significant domestic sale that would represent ‘pure profit’ on their balance sheet.

There have been internal discussions about selling Nwaneri or Lewis-Skelly, who is on loan at Marseille, but in recent weeks it has been noted that Lewis-Skelly has emerged as a real midfield option for Arteta.

There is also a desire to keep the wage bill manageable. But that’s easier said than done, with defender Jurrien Timber and midfielder Declan Rice both set to sign new deals in the not-too-distant future, and Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Lewis-Skelly, Saka and Nwaneri having recently renewed their contracts.

With lucrative bonuses to be paid to players in light of this season’s success (not to mention the expectation that Arteta’s wages will approach £20m), keeping the club’s overhead costs under control will not be easy.

It is increasingly felt behind the scenes that the club need to start planning a rebuild of the squad, given that some key players are in their late 20s.

This summer, they are keenly interested in Leicester teenager Jeremy Monga and with Dowman, Marli Salmon, Edwin and Holger Quintero and Lewis-Skelly also in their teens, there is hope that the rebuild will not lead to a noticeable drop in levels.