Arsenal next transfer priority is clear after Vinicius Jr blow and Borussia Dortmund defeat

Don't read too much into pre-season friendlies, unless of course, you are a defensive mess. Less than two weeks out from their Premier League opener against newly-promoted Coventry City, champions Arsenal are still getting warm.

But having now shipped three goals in two consecutive defeats to Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund, it's becoming difficult to decipher whether this is merely ring rust or a glimpse into what life may really look like without William Saliba.

Context is crucial because just over one year ago, the Gunners were stunned 3-2 at home by Villarreal in a similarly sketchy contest.

A clean sheet in a ruthless 3-0 demolition of Athletic Club and one of the most-historic campaigns in the club's illustrious history then followed.

But it can also be true that Arsenal currently look fortunate that none of their direct rivals, outside of Tottenham, have drastically strengthened to date.

While they remain firm favourites to retain their crown, their backline just isn't clicking in the absence of imperious Frenchman Saliba and there's an alarming lack of defensive depth.

Ben White, who managed just 12 top-flight appearances last term is back following his MCL injury but Arsenal are currently placing great faith in his fitness record with Jurrien Timber still sidelined.

The Gunners were sliced apart for BVB's opener inside seven minutes and then exposed again as Konstantinos Karetsas, a prodigy Arsenal tracked last summer, bent home admirably.

Then just moments after Ethan Nwaneri handed Arsenal a lifeline, Arsenal were undone via a messy and chaotic set-piece.

Forget marquee big-name Vinicius Junior alternatives, a versatile defender should now be among Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta's top transfer priorities

It's not time to hit the panic button yet as it's been a slightly odd pre-season all-round this summer, not just for Arsenal.

Another injury and the narrative quickly changes, however. The first expanded 48-team World Cup was gruelling for all parties, on all levels.

The whopping 104-game tournament was brutal on body clocks, a mental slog and that's without even considering the actual physical toll of the participating players' workload on the back of a long domestic campaign.

Arsenal, arguably more so than any other Premier League club, need to manage their stars carefully from here on in.

The champions went deep in all four competitions last term while Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Magalhaes and Saliba were all managing varying degrees of pain.

The latter ultimately paid the ultimate price for his bravery but Arteta cannot afford to witness Rice or Gabriel, in particular, break down this season as they are just too important to their Premier League title defence.

Perhaps it's naive to perceive there will not be consequences somewhere along the line, which underlines the importance of strong recruitment work from Berta.

Bruno Guimaraes' £75million arrival - the Brazilian midfielder was presented to the Emirates Stadium crowd pre-kick-off - will help protect Rice's conditioning.

Sufficient defensive cover is also required and with just over three weeks left of the transfer window, there is still work to do.

Guimaraes, now likely to debut against Como after watching on from the stands, is unquestionably a top acquisition but Arteta's left flank - one key area where there was scope for improvement - is not conclusively better than it was last season despite Christos Tzolis' eye-catching start to life in north London.

Next weekend's Community Shield collision with Manchester City in Cardiff should represent a strong yardstick as to where Arsenal are really at. Losing that fixture would not be ideal preparation for Coventry.

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