Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta knows they will have to strengthen and be more consistent next season – and he knows everyone in the Premier League will be striving to do exactly the same.

The Gunners finished the season eighth with 61 points but now head into the summer where they potentially need to do plenty of business to get back playing European football.

It is the first time the north London club have missed out in 25 years and the boss knows there is work to be done.

“They're going to get better and they're going to strengthen, so we need to get better,” Arteta insisted.

“First of all, we have to get our players better, more consistent and help them to improve. All our way of playing, our philosophy, I think is in place.

“They buy into that and now is the moment to take it to the next level, to improve that and improve our consistency because since December to now, we've shown that we're the second or third-best team in the league.

“It's not enough. Six months, the level is high, so we need to do that for 10 months.”

One player that has impressed for Arsenal is youngster Martin Odegaard who has been on loan from Real Madrid.

Arsenal would like to keep him but the decision is in the hands of the player and his parent club.

“Well we have a very clear and strong opinion on what we would like to do. He's not our player.

“We'll have discussions in the next few weeks, but first of all we need to respect that he's a Real Madrid player.

“We'll have those communications. We've tried to make everything that we could to get Martin performing for the team, which I think he's done, and he has adapted really well to our way of playing and to our football club.

“Hopefully we have given him the hope and the feeling that this could be a good place for him. It's not in our hands. I don't know.”

Defender David Luiz is already confirmed as departing the club while a few others are expected to also leave in the coming weeks.