I didn’t watch the Champions League final last night. I’m in Yorkshire with some of The Management’s family over from New Zealand and we’re doing a little bit of a holiday and, frankly, I didn’t want to spoil it by watching a game that I feel we could/should have been in. Give me an Arsenal team who had just a few more players fit up against a PSG side who had everyone fit and could focus on the Champions League because they already had their Farmers League title sewn up in March. Give me that, then we’ll see just how good we are, which was a conversation that the wife’s Newcastle United-supporting uncle asked me last night.

“What do you think about Arsenal’s chances and what do you think about Arteta?” was the question he asked me. It was a leading one, because as somebody on the outside he’s clearly been influenced by the media and their sniping at our Basque manager, but I held firm and said I back him and I am excited about next season.

Because I am. I think the noises at the moment are really positive. If we can get the Zubi deal over the line soon, if we can sort out the Sesko numbers and get that done, then if we can go into squad augmentation mode of rotation players like a decent back up ‘keeper etc, then i think we could be in a really good place. Liverpool will look good with Wirtz in their team, but I’ll be stunned if Salah has another completely injury-free season and adds another 40+ goals and assists to his tally at 33 years of age. VVD might well continue to be a rock in that team, but I also hope that somebody at PGMOL is looking at some of the highlight reel comps of him this season, because he’s gotten away with murder. So hopefully there’s a revert back to the norm. Man City have a rebuild on their hands and whilst I don’t think they’ll be as bad as they have been this season, I do think the days of 20-game winning streaks for them are (hopefully) over. We’ll not mention the 115 (or is it 130 now??) elephants in the room, eh? Chelsea will be in the Champions League but I still think they might be short of going the distance (and I hope so for that reprehensible club). Newcastle now have Champions League football again to contend with, whilst Villa will also have the Europa League to occupy them.

So it does feel like – if/when we do what we need to do in the transfer market – there’s a really good chance for us next season.

I think the players see it too. Look at the fact there are noises about Gabriel signing a new deal. Two years ago this is a guy who’s having his head turned by big Saudi money, but now there is a tacit admission from those ‘in the know’ in the media that a new deal for him is essentially done. That’s great to hear. It shows ambition, it shows the player buy in, it bodes well for those hopes that we’ll see Saliba sign up too. He’s just got his defensive partner signed up and his mate committed for another five years, he’s been part of a side who have reached the semi final of the Champions League, he’s at a club who love him and the fans love him and who he supported as a kid, so what is there for him elsewhere right now? Sure, he might want to give it a go somewhere else in three or four years and I don’t think any of us Arsenal fans are naïve to think he won’t, but a new deal now and another two, three or four year’s at The Arsenal feels like it would be the right thing of all parties. So hopefully that can be a deal we can get done.

The good thing about the noises we’ve all been hearing is that Andrea Berta prioritised the Big Gabi contract thing as soon as he walked through the door. Great stuff. It’s all very well us talking about the ‘shiny new toys’ that Arsenal fans all want to see, but you have to take care of your own house first and in that Gabriel contract Berta is showing that he knows that too. If he can sort out Saliba and Saka this summer, as well as these signings, then we’ll be getting to the end of this summer and saying he’s had an A+ start indeed.

What we need to see now, however, is these things all come through the official channels. There’s been lots of positive back channel noises and media discussions, but with the transfer window officially opening today, it would be good to start having a regular trickle of positive news filtering through from today. Let’s see if we get it.

Right, that’s me done for the day, I think. I’m off to try and run this hangover off before a big Yorkshire Sunday lunch. Catch you tomorrow.