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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta spoke extensively about the club's pursuit of "excellence" during this summer's transfer window, yet the most tangible sign of any real movement came via reports of Newcastle United's Eddie Howe stepping away from his role.
The newly crowned Premier League champions have been connected with a host of high-profile names this summer as they look to sign a marquee player from their current position of strength. Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior has grabbed most of the headlines recently, drawing attention away from long-standing target Julián Alvarez of Atlético Madrid, though the most probable signing could be Newcastle skipper Bruno Guimarães.
Following the surprising news that Howe had decided to leave his position at St James' Park, The Telegraph reported that the English manager had been pushed into this dramatic resignation by the club's transfer activity. Howe is believed to have departed convinced that Guimarães will be sold to Arsenal, joining Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali as painful exits already this summer.
Just last week, Howe acknowledged that he had no involvement in talks regarding the Brazilian midfielder's future and was uncertain about what lay ahead. Having seen their initial proposals quickly turned down, Arsenal are reportedly readying an improved offer of $93.2 million (£70 million).
If Arteta's comments are any indication, Guimarães won't be the only new face arriving at the Emirates this summer.
Arteta Trying to Take Arsenal Into 'Different Dimension'
"A lot is happening," an energized Arteta told reporters at Arsenal's preseason training base in Spain. "From ownership to the board, the sporting director and myself, we know that we want to take this club to a different level.
"That is going to require a better squad, better individuals. We have identified where we have opportunities to grow and to improve and to evolve our game and what is going to be needed to achieve that."
The Gunners claimed their first Premier League crown since 2004 in May and advanced to the Champions League final, ultimately falling to Paris Saint-Germain in a penalty shootout. However, it was far from straightforward.
There was a notable over-dependence on the technical brilliance of specific players—particularly Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz—who struggled to stay fit amid yet another wave of injuries. This led to a greater emphasis on set pieces, an approach that may become less viable given the upcoming introduction of tighter regulations.
Guimarães has been identified as a player capable of supporting Arsenal's creative players, while either Vinícius Jr or Alvarez would ideally be recruited to strengthen an attack that can sometimes lack spark.
"Hopefully very soon we can start to put things in a very concrete way," Arteta continued. "Excellence has to be our standard and this has to drive us to attack the future. The way we behave daily with more and more determination and ambition because we've shown that we've got it.
"Now we have to show that we belong to this level and we want to increase and take this football club to a different dimension."
The iconic Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby once cautioned against grand declarations: "It's very dangerous to shout, because in my profession every 24 hours can make you a fool."
Bold statements carry a little less risk when the actions of others help to support them.