On the final day of the season, Arsenal comfortably beat a much-changed Fulham side that had its mind elsewhere by four goals to nil to clinch third place and automatic qualification to the group stage of the Champions League. Even though Spurs threw away a two-goal lead losing 4-2 at Burnley, it was good to see the Gunners ending the season with a win in front of their own fans.

The match itself was not worthy of much comment. It was real end-of-season stuff and all a bit bloodless. Still, after a run of poor results, it did put a bit of a smile back on supporters faces as we all head into the summer. And what a crucial summer it is going be.

RVP Hits Finds the Net Against Fulham ©PA Photos

As has been discussed on this page over recent weeks, there is no doubt that Arsene Wenger is going to have to do some re-building in the close-season. The manager himself has been quick to acknowledge that fact and, as a first move, it looks like the signing of Marouane Chamakh is finally within touching distance. However, it is obvious that the summer’s business cannot begin and end with the acquisition of the Moroccan.

Let me state now that I find transfer speculation intensely boring. It is one of the dullest and most tiresome aspects of the media-driven modern game. Consequently, as to which players Arsenal ought to be bringing in, I will leave that to you to discuss in the comments section if you so desire. What I would like to discuss though is where the squad needs reinforcement and which players, in my view, Arsene Wenger should be looking to replace - starting with the defence….

After the Fulham match Arsene Wenger is quoted as saying that conceding 40 goals in a season is too many to win the title and it has been one of the most regular gripes amongst fans that Arsenal cannot be relied upon to keep a clean sheet when they need to or shut out games. Too many times this season we have had to rely on outscoring opponents rather than nullifying them. Whereas goalscoring often requires a degree of inspiration, defending is more about discipline, organisation and concentration. The Gunners have to learn to replicate the latter attributes week in, week out, game after game.

There has been a lot of discussion in recent weeks about the goalkeeping situation and I am sticking by the response I made in the comments section a few weeks ago. It is absolutely crystal clear that neither Manuel Almunia nor Lukasz Fabianski are consistent enough to win titles for the club. I believe the manager should be looking to unload both in the next few months and bring in a seasoned professional who has international experience. At the same time, Wenger should bring Wojciech Szczesny back from his loan spell at Brentford and install him and Vito Mannone as back-ups.

Moving on to the full-backs, I am happy with Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy at right- and left-back respectively. Clichy often comes in for criticism for being error-prone but he is one of the few players in this squad who shows the right sort of never-say-die spirit game after game and that goes a long way for compensating for the few mistakes he makes. Sagna is a solid right-back and has rarely let the side down since joining the club. Both of them should be kept.

As squad back-ups for Sagna and Clichy, Kieran Gibbs and Emmanuel Eboue still fit the bill. Both now have a several seasons of experience under their belts and, in the case of Eboue, I think he is far more effective as a back-up right-back than he is a midfielder.

Goalkeeping aside, the centre of defence seems to be the area where reinforcement is most definitely needed. So far, Thomas Vermaelen has proved to be one of Arsene Wenger’s shrewder recent signings. There is no question that he will be right at the heart of the Gunner’s defence next season. William Gallas comes out of contract very shortly and looks certain to leave the club. Sol Campbell and Mikael Silvestre will both have to renew their contracts to be playing next season. Sol has been fantastic since he rejoined. He has shown leadership and has added some much-needed experience to the squad. Sadly though, his legs won’t stand two matches per week. Wenger should give him another year but he cannot be considered a first-choice selection.

Silvestre has done nothing since joining the club to suggest that he can roll back the years in the autumn of his career. In fact, he has often been a total liability. I don’t really see any justification for renewing his terms and he should be allowed to leave.

This leaves Johan Djourou and Kyle Bartley. Djourou has been injured for nearly all this season and it remains to be seen whether he will continue the progress he was making prior to entering the treatment room. Therefore, it would be a risk to rely on him staying fit to partner Vermaelen next season. Bartley has been on a three-month loan at Sheffield United this season and has earned some favourable reviews. Wenger reportedly likes him as a player but he is still very young and needs to be nurtured into the Premier League scene. Consequently, it would seem that the acquisition of a top-class central defender to partner Thomas Vermaelen is definitely required.

The only other defender not mentioned so far is Armand Traore. It is a bit of a judgement call as to whether he stays or goes. He hasn’t shown anything this season that would put him ahead of a fully-fit Kieran Gibbs at left-back and with Johan Djourou returning, who can deputise at full-back if need be, it would seem that Traore’s opportunities will be limited. He is not a player who really evokes many strong feelings one way or another.

So, in summary, I believe we need to sign an established goalkeeper and an experienced central defender. To balance this off, it’s a taxi for Messers Almunia, Fabianski, Gallas, Silvestre and, possibly, Traore. These are not changes that are asking the earth of Arsene Wenger, nor should they break the bank even if the sum total of the outgoing players does not amount to much in terms of transfer fees.

Some might question whether this is enough in the light of defensive troubles this season. Individually, most of these players look up to standard and yet so many soft and needless goals have been conceded. However, the important thing to remember is that defending is not the sole preserve of the back four. It starts with the attackers closing down opposition defenders and relies on midfielders putting in their shift to protect the defence. Barcelona dished out an object lesson in defending from the front in the two legs of our Champions League tie with them. Additionally, let it not be forgotten that the legendary back four that Arsene Wenger inherited when he joined the club were made all the more effective by having Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit stationed in front of them.

I actually think that it is the midfield where much of the Gunners’ defensive deficiencies stem from – and it is that area of the squad I shall look at next time.