Arsenal face a tough task of bolstering their squad this summer on a much-reduced transfer budget.
Failure to qualify for the Champions League yet again means Unai Emery's purse was slashed in half despite having to replace his best player of last season, Aaron Ramsey.
However, the first piece of transfer business at the Emirates Stadium looks to be edging closer to completion and it's a defender, not attacker, which Emery is tracking.
Celtic's versatile defender Kieran Tierney is the subject of serious interest and is expected to command a club-record sale for the Scottish champions.
Here's what we know so far...
Is the deal close?
It appears so. Arsenal are in talks with Celtic and have seen two offers rejected by the Scottish champions, the opening bid of £15m followed by an improved offer of £18m.
Both clubs are expected to agree on a fee, however, while Tierney could be in line for a least double his reported weekly wages of £25,000.
How much will he cost?
Standard Sport understands that Celtic will demand a fee higher than the £19.7m Lyon paid for Moussa Sissoko last summer as they look for a record fee received for a player.
Tierney has endured an injury-hit 2018-19 season but remains one of the best young prospects in Scotland, having just turned 22, so Celtic will not be bullied over price.
The defender is also just two years into a six-year contract so Celtic have no need to sell.
What is Arsenal's budget?
Unai Emery has a budget around £40m to spend this summer after failing to qualify for the Champions League for a third season on the trot.
Finishing in the top four, or beating Chelsea in the Europa League Final, is understood to have doubled that figure. North London rivals Tottenham, for example, earned north of £60m from the Champions League alone last season.
The departures of first-team members Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey, Danny Welbeck and Stephan Lichtsteiner has freed up space on a wage budget previously stretched by Mesut Ozil's remarkable £350,000-a-week salary.
Is he good enough?
While the Premier League is a big step up from the Scottish Premiership, especially for a player who has just turned 22 years old, Tierney has all the tools required to be a success.
He has captained both Celtic and Scotland, both for the first time while a 20-year-old, and has over 100 appearances under his belt for the biggest club in the country.
He is predominantly a left-back but can also play at centre-back and right-back. He has played on the left-hand side of a back three, with Liverpool's Andy Robertson at left wing-back, for Scotland.
He was named Scotland Young Player of the Year and named in the Premiership Team of the Year in his first three seasons at Celtic. He struggled with injury during last season but still has four league titles, two Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups to his name.
With Nacho Monreal and Laurent Koscielny on the decline and Arsenal's backline a tombola of inconsistent performers, Tierney's versatility and winning experience should prove very valuable.
