Mikel Arteta says Arsenal’s return to the Champions League will help with their recruitment, though he insists the club is a big draw either way.

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds fans on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in London on March 19, 2023. - Arsenal won the game 4-1. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds fans on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in London on March 19, 2023. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Though last week’s results were very damaging for Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Premier League, the Gunners did at least confirm a top-four finish and a resulting return to the Champions League.

Speaking about the return of Europe’s top-tier men’s competition to the Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta admitted there’s a benefit to having Champions League football when trying to recruit new signings.

But the Gunners manager also insisted that players want to join Arsenal regardless of the Champions League.

“Champions League helps, because every player wants to be involved in that competition and it’s going to help us, because we are going to have to nail the recruitment,” Arteta said.

“We know that we are going to have play a different level and the demands are going to be even higher.

“We are really lucky because when you open the doors of Arsenal and you talk about Arsenal to any player, they want to come. My experience has been that, regardless of Champions League [football].”

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 12: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Arsenal FC at Craven Cottage on March 12, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Arsenal FC at Craven Cottage on March 12, 2023. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Arsenal have a big summer ahead of them, as Arteta mentioned.

The Spaniard had the luxury of rotating for the Europa League group-stage games in the first half of this season, but he won’t be able to do that if he wants to win Champions League fixtures.

Unless Arsenal can pull off a now-unlikely league win, the Gunners won’t be in Pot 1 for the group-stage draw, so they’ll have to face at least one top European team early on.

If they end up in Pot 3 instead of 2, which is very possible, they could have a very tough group draw.

So Edu and the rest of Arsenal’s transfer team need to recruit well. They need to strengthen the squad so it doesn’t fall apart after a couple of injuries as it seemed to in this campaign.

With Champions League football to offer, that task should be a little easier.