What now for Arsenal following their Champions League final heartache?

The Gunners achieved their first Premier League title since 2003-04 this season but were unable to add a maiden Champions League crown to their trophy cabinet.

Now, as the dust settles on a largely triumphant campaign, DAZN News  correspondent  Ross Heppenstall analyses the route forward for Mikel Arteta's side.

Opportunity missed to create history and secure legendary status 

There have been numerous great Arsenal sides down the years - and none of them have managed to be crowned champions of Europe.

The Gunners recently became champions of England for a 14th time but are arguably the biggest club never to win the Champions League.

Their previous final saw them lose to Barcelona in 2006 and now, two decades on, they have suffered at the hands of a PSG side who retained the trophy they won for the first time twelve months ago.

Where does this current side rank in the all-time great Arsenal sides?

In 1997-98, the Gunners won a glorious Premier League and FA Cup double.

Their success was founded on a brilliant team assembled by Arsene Wenger and containing men such as Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp.

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In 2001-02, they won another magnificent double and their 49-match unbeaten run in the Premier League between 2003 and 2004 was a truly remarkable achievement.

Wenger’s team was affectionately termed ‘The Invincibles’ after going through the entire 2003-04 campaign unbeaten, winning 26 matches and drawing 12.

Arteta’s side could have arguably bettered anything achieved by any previous Arsenal team, had they added a first Champions League title to their Premier League trophy.

They failed to do that, though, and a season which had for long periods saw the Gunners chase a quadruple has seen them end up with just one piece of silverware - and still no Champions League title.

Significant financial boost

Despite losing to Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal had already secured a substantial financial windfall exceeding £120 million from their impressive journey to the Champions League final.

They could have expected to add another £10million to their coffers had they lifted the trophy in the Hungarian capital.

But the huge financial windfall from this season's Champions League campaign can only add to Arteta’s transfer war chest this summer.

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New recruits could give Gunners the edge

With the £120 million in the bank from this season’s European campaign, Arteta will look to bolster an already impressive squad in the hope of going one better in the Champions League next term.

Arsenal have made a knack of going close under Arteta and, having finally delivered a long-awaited Premier League title this season, they will hope to similarly secure the crown of European champions in 2026-27.

Aston Villa and England playmaker Morgan Rogers is being linked with a move to the Emirates this summer and would add plenty of depth to Arsenal’s attacking options.

Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez and Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi are also thought to be on the Gunners’ radar.

There are expected to be three or four outgoings too, with striker Gabriel Jesus expected to depart for a Brazilian club for approximately £5million, freeing up significant wages to aid financial compliance.

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