Not just waiting for the new season to begin. The cruel practice of releasing the fixtures for the upcoming campaign months in advance aside, all us lovers of the beautiful game have to focus on is the speculation that surrounds our teams. This period is arguably worst for one club in particular, especially out of the biggest clubs England, and this is the club that I, as a foolish 6 year-old, decided to spend the rest of my life following. Summer is never a good time for an Arsenal fan. As season after season stutter to increasingly frustrating climaxes, the summer months feel like trying to cross a desert with a tablespoon of water. Arsenal fans are powerless to do anything but sit and wait for the latest attempt on their most prized assets - be it Henry's consistent near-exits from 2005 onwards, perpetual rumours over beloved captain Patrick Vieira, or the never-ending pursuit of Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona. As much as you try and keep your hand steady, the beating sun means that eventually, the water will be spilled. Henry left for Barcelona. Vieira to Juventus. Fabregas will undoubtedly leave for his Catalan home, if not this summer then next. I'm not suggesting that this process is unique to Arsenal fans. Of course, fans of every Championship and lower Premier League team with a star player will more often than not be resigned to his exit. Sunderland completed the signing of promising Ipswich striker Connor Wickham this week, Reading have conceded that it is unlikely they would be able to hold on to free-scoring striker Shane Long, while players such as Peter Odemwingie, Scott Parker and Gary Cahill will all almost certainly be poached by a bigger club over the break. However, the frustrating this for Arsenal fans is that the club is in a position where it should not be powerless to stop this. Fabregas, Henry and Vieira - each individually at one time or another arguably the most influential player in their team, should not just be destined to leave. This arguably naive view, especially in Fabregas' case where there are so many other influences at play, would not be as painful if there was some sense that these players would be adequately replaced. However, even at a time when everyone at the club, from Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis to Wenger himself, are promising multiple transfers, I can't help but worry that August will roll around with at most one or two new arrivals.
If Fabregas leaves, then it is perhaps inevitable end point of a lengthy process. Barcelona, much like a bigger, stronger man who your wife has cheated on you with, will swoop in and take your beloved off into the sunset. They're better than us, they're richer than us, and he wants to play for them more than us. Which is more, what with the rise of Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, the acquisition of just one experienced central midfielder would adequately fill this void. However, if impressive midfielder Samir Nasri and longest-serving player and quasi-sole left-back (in my opinion Kieran Gibbs is way more than one season away from first-team quality) Gael Clichy also leave then the task becomes daunting. Three top class players would now be needed, and this is before we even begin to address the obvious deficiencies that already exist in Arsenal's squad. Every fan has his own opinion, his own priority. A goalkeeper, a leading central defender from the Adams mould, a bossy midfielder or a clinical 25-goal a year man. All arguably as important as each other, however if all three players leave and need to be replaced, this leaves Arsenal with seven signings to make - something that just won't happen under Wenger.
Not only are there problems on the pitch. Former Director Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith has aired the board's dirty laundry all over Twitter; first claiming that David Dein is the root cause of all of Arsenal's current problems, then backtracking and praising him as the catalyst for all of the club's success. Then, earlier this week, she quite astonishingly claimed that every member of Arsenal's current board should be sacked, including Stan Kroenke - the multi-billionaire who she sold her shares to. Such turmoil upstairs can only be unsettling for Wenger and the players at a very volatile and fragile time for Arsenal Football Club. Mistakes have undoubtedly been made. The long-term sponsorship deal with Emirates for shirt and stadium naming rights has proved a costly error - the contract has bound Arsenal for an exceedingly lengthy period to a contract which now seems like a steal. Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Tottenham and Aston Villa now have more lucrative shirt sponsorship contracts than Arsenal do, a situation which is quite ridiculous for a club of Arsenal's stature. The comparative lack of revenue will mean that Arsenal's stadium debt will linger on for longer than it ever needed to, while at present it restricts Wenger's spending power to just a fraction of those available to Ferguson, Mancini et al. 
There are transfer rumours. Arsenal fans will also be aware that there are always rumours. The players that i've seen us linked to include Juan Mata, Christopher Samba, Gary Cahill, Gervinho, Roman Lukaku, as well as all manner of sixteen year-olds. However, while the rumours persist at Arsenal, other clubs are actually signing players. Man Utd have completed the signing of impressive young goalkeeper David De Gea, a player that one can only assume would have worked wonders at the Emirates, as well as Ashley Young and Phil Jones. Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City will all undoubtedly sign several players before the new season, while a haul of three would delight most Arsenal fans used to the Professor's economic discipline and stringent transfer policy.
This is the most important few months in Arsenal's recent history, and will, without exaggeration, undoubtedly determine the direction of the club for the next five or ten years. If the captain, the longest serving player and one of the most talented players all leave and aren't replaced, Arsenal will only go backwards. If, however, one of the three stays, the other two are replaced and one or two others arrive, Arsenal may be able to use results on the pitch to turn around the waining fortunes of other aspects of the club. As an Arsenal fan, I can only hope that August comes quickly.
