"This could be as good as it gets for them" - Arsenal legend makes discouraging claim after Premier League title collapse 

Former Arsenal defender Tony Adams has said that the Gunners' squad have hit their peak under manager Mikel Arteta. He reckons the 2022-23 season was their best, and they will not reach similar heights again.

Arsenal finished second in the Premier League after topping the table for 93% of the season, spanning 248 days. They won just two of their last eight games to conceded the title to Manchester City. They ended the season trophyless, despite playing their best football in recent years.

Adams believes that not capitalising on their chances has left them with a massive climb, and they will not find it tougher from next season. He wrote in The Sun:

"Now I am not for one minute suggesting that the Gunners are going to be getting rid of Arteta, but I do fear that this could be as good as it gets for them.

"Talk of Arsenal bottling the title race was nonsense because they played to their absolute maximum and came up just short of the best team in the world. No one expected them to finish so high, but the downside to all that is where do they go from here?"

Adams added:

"I hate to sound like a prophet of doom, but I do believe that a lot of this team has already peaked. It was possibly the best season that many of them will ever have. I don’t think they’ll get to that level again.

"They’re definitely not going to challenge Manchester City next season, and without serious recruitment this summer, it will be a struggle for them to finish runners-up again."

Arteta, though, is still confident about his side and has vowed to come back stronger next season. It's the first time Arsenal have qualified for the UEFA Champions League in seven years, which could pose an additional challenge for the Spaniard.

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Summer window set to be rocky for Arsenal

The Gunners were confident of signing West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice but are now facing tough competition from Bayern Munich.

Chelsea were in the running, but they switched their attention to Manuel Ugarte and are fighting Paris Saint-Germain for the midfielder's signature, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

West Ham United are open to selling Rice this summer and have reportedly set a £120 million price tag. However, Bayern Munich are preparing a £95 million bid as per Football London, and Arsenal will have to at least match it.

West Ham are yet to make a decision, but a Daily Mail report suggests that the Hammers are confident of getting the fee they want. The are waiting for Manchester United to make a move for the midfielder soon.