The 5 most important things Arsenal need to do this summer

It's official. Arsene Wenger is in. For the next two years, at least, the longest-serving manager in the Premier League will remain the Gunners' boss, but it won't be smooth sailing.

Arsenal finished outside the top four for the first time in his 22-year tenure and next season, they won't compete in Champions League. Even though the man in charge remains the same, it's a brand new era for Arsenal, and this summer is one of the most important the North London side have faced in years. There's plenty of work to be done in the transfer window, but what should be top of Arsenal's priority list?

The last thing Arsenal need this summer is a long, drawn-out transfer saga. Their two best players have just over a year left on their respective contracts, and priority one for the Gunners should be to figure out the futures of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. Whether they're willing to blow up their wage structure and pay the duo what they're demanding, or if they're going to let one (or both) go, it needs to be sorted out so the club -- and the players -- can move forward. The whole summer is dependent on what happens with those two so they need to get it done soon.

Letting the Ox go would be a mistake. At 23 years old, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is far from the finished product, but he's showed immense potential and significant development to become a player that the Gunners need in their team moving forward. He was one of the few Arsenal players to fight throughout the season and until the very end, and they can't afford to lose a player of his caliber, especially to another Premier League team. He's young, he's versatile, he's English, and he has to stay. Period. 

Arsene Wenger's used his tried and true 4-2-3-1 formation for just about his entire career. It's what he's known for, but later in the season, he started using the back three system that's become en vogue around Europe. Tactical flexibility is important, but it's also paramount to have a base system the players are familiar with and can build off moving forward. Whatever that system is will also heavily determine how the club approaches the transfer market this summer, and that's especially tied to the formation the Gunners want to play considering their lack of quality depth at centerback. Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi are a quality pairing, and Rob Holding has shown some real promise, but if the Gunners are going to line up with three CBs successfully, they'll probably need better than Gabriel or Per Mertesacker in their back line.

Granit Xhaka came on slowly last year, but ended up looking like the tempo-setting presence Arsenal have missed in midfield since Santi Cazorla went down injured. He needs help though, and the likes of Francis Coquelin aren't at the standard to compete and bring trophies to the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners need a world-class ball-winner (because Lord knows, that's not Xhaka's strength), and they have to address that gaping hole this summer.

Olivier Giroud is fine and good. He does the job he's asked to, and he's a consummate team player. That being said, Giroud isn't the caliber player who can fire a team to a title, and Arsenal have cried out for an attacker of that quality since Robin van Persie left. Another summer can't go by without the Gunners adding a marquee goalscorer. It just can't.