Arsenal legend Paul Merson has advised Mikel Arteta to prioritise the development of Emile Smith Rowe and the rest of his squad over a push for the Premier League's European spots.
Back-to-back defeats against Wolves and Aston Villa have seen the Gunners slip back into the bottom-half of the table, bringing an end to an unbeaten streak that stretched back to Boxing Day.
A daunting run of fixtures lies ahead for Arsenal, starting with this Sunday's hosting of Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium, and significant improvements are needed if Europa League football is to be secured next season.
However, Merson believes that shouldn't be the target for Arteta and the focus should instead orientate around crafting his squad to ensure they're ready to go again next year.
"I thought when Mikel Arteta first came in, he did well to get the people he didn't want out of the club. People who were on big wages and who weren't playing, but now he has got to be planning for next season," he told Sky Sports.
"He shouldn't be worrying if Arsenal finish 14th. He should be looking to get as many games out of Emile Smith Rowe to decide if he's going to be playing next season. Nicolas Pepe is right to be getting the games now as he looks a better player than when he arrived. It's about seeing who's going to be right for next season.
"Arsenal don't need another season like this. He needs to know who's going to be there and what his team is. Now it's about experimenting.
"Arsenal don't need to be finishing in the top seven. They don't need to be playing Thursday night football next season. They need to have a plan for next season, and the plan has to be that the players who aren't there now can't be part of those plans."
Smith Rowe has become an integral member of Arteta's squad, starting the last eight Premier League matches.
