Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is set to have more than a couple of selection headaches heading into the next Premier League season. In the forward lines, the signings of Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard over the past year has added further depth, while a contract extension for Reiss Nelson means that there are at least seven options for three positions.
In midfield, Kai Havertz and Declan Rice look set to bolster the central ranks that already added Jorginho in January and could add yet one more amid links to Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni and Southampton youngster Romeo Lavia. But it's the defensive department that could leave Arteta spoilt for choice.
William Saliba's contract extension means that he's tied down at the club until 2027, while centre-back partner Gabriel Magalhaes extended his own deal earlier this year. Beyond them, there's the versatile Takehiro Tomiyasu - who can play any position across the back four - as well as Jakub Kiwior and Rob Holding.
At left-back there's Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney while on the opposite flank, Ben White looks set to be joined by Jurrien Timber. The Ajax defender is set to make the switch to the Emirates Stadium in the coming days after reports of a medical ahead of a move.
With the Dutch international able to play at centre-back or invert from right-back, there are plenty of ways he could fit into the team next season. However, it leaves the manager scratching his head as to which team he may have to pick each week and every game they face.
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It appears to be a case of "horses for courses" or picking certain players with a certain skill set to face each set of opposition that will pose different challenges. Perhaps a criticism of last season's title push would be a lack of variation in the build-up from the back, with the same patterns of play when on the ball.
Compare that to rivals Manchester City, who will rotate options based on their opposition, such as choosing Kyle Walker at right-back when facing a one-on-one winger or opting for John Stones there instead to invert when that's less of an issue. By adding these different players, Arteta can now pick a different team for each scenario.
In the case of the strongest backline itself though, if it were a four at the back, it may be similar to last season with Zinchenko at left-back inverting, the usual pairing of Saliba and Gabriel with White at right-back. While it may seem harsh to omit Timber, having two full-backs that invert could spell trouble in the wings.
That's why they could alternate in selection, perhaps giving the manager several strongest defence combinations rather than just the one.
