Arsenal: 7 Reasons for Fans to Be Excited About Next Season

Don't let the excitement of Arsenal's thrilling top-four finish wear off just yet. Though it's only been a few days since the Gunners clinched fourth place, the sheen of that grand imaginary trophy might be beginning to wear off, and thoughts of the busy summer ahead might take over.

Try to prevent that from happening. If that unfortunate transition has already begun to occur, try your best to reverse it. Arsenal's accomplishment is one to truly relish, as it has massive implications for the club in both the short and long terms.

In short, there is a lot to be excited about. Let's attempt to keep that optimism flowing right up until the start of next season in August.

I'll do my bit by giving you seven reasons to be excited for the 2013-14 season.

There Is Money to Spend

This talking point has been beaten to death already, so I won't wail on the deceased horse too much.

But it is worth noting that Arsenal are widely reported to have £70 million in liquid funds, waiting to be spent on any players that Arsene Wenger and the Board see fit.

While the chance that the Gunners spend all that money is roughly equal to me signing for the club (as good as I look in red and white), the club is financially ready to make some long-awaited splashes in the transfer market and reinforce positions that need to be addressed.

It is never wise to get one's hopes too elevated when they involve Arsenal's activity in the transfer market, but this looks to be a different sort of summer.

Jack's Back

Come August, we won't see Jack Wilshere's smiling face on the bench anymore.

Though it might be difficult for Arsene Wenger to work him back into the starting XI with such players as Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla all shining toward the end of the season, Wilshere's extraordinary talent and dynamic creative ability must find a place somewhere.

He was only riding the pine at the end of the season because of irritation in his previously injured ankle that requires the screws inserted a year ago to be removed. According to Wilshere, it's a minor procedure that will only see him "rested up for a fortnight."

Arsenal can certainly afford to wait that long for the return of arguably their best player, who should be back in his best form by the start of the next campaign.

There Is Competition for Places

Though everyone who plays for Arsenal is a professional footballer with an exceptional amount of talent, complacency in the face of high wages and little competition is only human nature.

And that has been endemic at the club during the last several years, with players being rewarded for their stature at the club while not facing any serious challenges from a new purchase or youth player. Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott were all victims of this sleepiness.

Now, the squad operates totally differently. There is much more rotation, and much more depth. And the latter will only grow over the summer.

At left-back, two qualified internationals are duking it out every single week. The captain of the club is raring to get back into the action in the center of defence. Wojciech Szczesny was spurred on when Lukasz Fabainski took his job during the second half of the season. And on and on.

Healthy competition is never bad for the overall quality of a team, and Arsenal increasingly have it.

Arsene Wenger Is Loaded with Options

Expanding on the previous point, the competition for places in all areas of the pitch gives Arsene Wenger tremendous tactical flexibility.

On a basic level, he now has the ability to rotate his players during hectic periods of the season without sacrificing a tremendous amount of talent.

But Wenger can now make selections based more upon form than necessity. When Gervinho had a purple patch toward the end of the season, for example, Wenger milked it until those glorious braids would give no more. Then, the more trustworthy Theo Walcott was brought back in.

If a certain team warrants a switch in formation or tactics, he can accomplish this, too. Sir Alex Ferguson clogged the midfield when Manchester United played Arsenal in recent years, and Wenger can now be just as flexible as his erstwhile counterpart.

Financial Fair Play

Perhaps actual regulation is a bit of a pipe dream, but Arsenal fans have been holding out hope that UEFA's Financial Fair Play will work for years.

Now it's finally being implemented.

Records from the past two fiscal years will be evaluated, and the governing body will be able to impose real sanctions this season. Could this be the end of clubs like Malaga, which bloat themselves so much that they cannot afford to pay their players' wages and are forced to sell some of their best players?

In reality, probably not. Clubs always have ways of getting around regulation when the stakes are this high. But if UEFA crack down on the most egregious violations, responsible clubs like Arsenal might finally benefit from their austerity.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

...But not at Arsenal.

Every club above the Gunners is getting a new manager next season. Though only three teams accrued more points, each will be undergoing significant offseason change.

Manchester United will make the complex transition from Sir Alex Ferguson to David Moyes. Manuel Pellegrini is being mooted as Roberto Mancini's successor at Manchester City. And the consensus holds that Roman Abromavich's prodigal son Jose Mourinho will be returning to Chelsea.

There is bound to be a certain measure of instability at each club following the installation of a new, albeit prestigious manager. At least initially, there will be a settling period. That will give Arsene Wenger's Arsenal the chance to make a decisive move up the table.

Everyone's Staying

Instability among the players who make up a football club is far more destabilizing than a managerial change, and Arsenal have weathered their fair share of restlessness among their personnel in recent years.

As Arsene Wenger recently put it, via the Daily Star:

"

It’s a really wonderful feeling knowing everyone I want to stay will stay. It’s important because for several summers it has been a difficult time.

It started with Cesc Fabregas, last year it was Robin van Persie and we cannot forget Samir Nasri either. We have started going to pre-season camps with a player being half in and half out. It’s not the best way to prepare.

"

Most importantly, with virtually all of his players returning next season, Wenger knows that he has a sturdy foundation on which to build a team capable of lasting success—one that can break the infamous eight-year trophy drought.

Institutional stability is the bedrock of any organization's success, and Arsenal finally have it.

Follow @charliemelman