Arsenal's trophy-less drought has reached a full six seasons now, and the fan base is getting antsy. The club had a devastating near miss in the Carling Cup last year, courtesy of plucky underdogs Birmingham, and faded horribly down the stretch in all competitions.
As a result, manager Arsene Wenger promised changes to the squad as he looked for the right balance of talent to end the Gunners' hardware-less streak.
Big names on offense found themselves linked to moves out of the club, while the Gunners scoured the transfer wires for potential talent to boost their chances of ending the drought next season.
After almost a month and a half of wheeling and dealing, though, where exactly does Arsenal stand in the grand scheme of things? Have their moves made them into title contenders, or will their streak of futility reach a seventh season?
The biggest moves Arsene Wenger has made thus far are the two deals he has yet to sign off on, which would send Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas out of Emirates.
The pair have been the subject of rampant rumours linking them to exits to Barcelona (for Fabregas) or anywhere that needs help winning hardware (for Nasri), but the French boss has stood firm in his conviction to keep both of his midfield maestros as Gunners for the coming season.
As long as that pair are in the fold, Arsenal figure to contend. They are both world-class talents, and are the kind of catalysts Arsenal need in their attack. Even if Wenger only keeps one of his talented pair, the Gunners should still be solid in the midfield.
From there, the offense got a major boost in landing Ivorian striker Gervinho. The 24-year-old Lille standout will provide Wenger's offense with the kind of consistent, reliable scoring threat the club previously lacked alongside Robin van Persie.
If he brings the skills that made him so effective in France across the Channel to North London, the Ivorian figures to give the offense just what they need.
With him in the fold, Arsenal's offense should improve substantially. They have depth at virtually every position at the front and in the midfield, and in terms of scoring goals, the Gunners should be just fine.
However, as smart a grab as the Ivorian was, Wenger and the Gunners can't finish there. While striker was an area of need, the club has yet to actually address their biggest and most glaring need this summer: the defense.
Arsenal's lack of strength and skill in the center of their defense was one of the primary causes of the club's slump down the stretch. They've been linked to Bolton standout Gary Cahill, as well as Blackburn's hulking Christopher Samba. One or both of the two defensive stalwarts would provide exactly what the Gunners need in the middle: size, strength and skill on the back line.
Despite those links, the Gunners have found themselves without either player, and until at least one of the pair winds up at Emirates, it's hard to see this club contending for (and winning) a Premiership title.
As much potential as Carl Jenkinson (the Finnish-English defender Wenger grabbed at a discount) possesses, he's not going to be the impact defender this club needs next season.
As of now, Arsenal are not a title-caliber club. They're close, but until the center of the defense gets a bit more solid, the Gunners aren't going to be winning any silverware next season.
In the end, Arsenal are clearly moving in the right direction, but Wenger cannot stop here. He's got to put a bid in on Samba or Cahill (or even both), and get this team the strengthened defensive spine it needs. Once that happens, the Gunner faithful can rest assured that their hardware drought will end sooner rather than later.
Blake Griffin Chris Bosh Mario Chalmers Dwayne Wade Brian Wilson Eli Whiteside
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