Fair enough, you are right, mendy's place did drop off and we went with 20 out of 21. We are still currently on 19, and that won't change if Zinchenko is replaced by Cucurella, so one more would still need signed to get us back to the same number as last season, which was already smaller than typical. Palmer is the same as last season, in both number and status.
I'm not arguing what I think the club should or shouldn't do, or will or won't. Just that if we are to match last season's squad as you say, even with a missing mendy, 1 player needs to come in with nobody leaving, or 2 in when Zinch leaves. Otherwise, it is a smaller squad.
Ederson, Ortega, Carson
Walker, Cancelo, Cucurella(?)
Dias, Laporte, Stones, Ake
Rodri, KDB, Bernardo, Phillips, Gundo
Foden, Mahrez, Grealish
Haaland, Alvarez
20, plus McAtee, Palmer, Delap
Allison, Kellegher, Adrian
Arnold, Robertson, Tsmikas
VVD, Konate, Matip, Gomes
Fabinho, Thiago, Henderson, Milner, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain (sold?), Jones
Nunes, Salah, Dias, Jota, Firminio
22, plus Elliot, Carvalho, Ramsey
Mendy, Kepa, Betinelli
James, Chilwell, Emerson, Alonso, Azpilicueta*
Koulibaly, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, New CB**
Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Gilmour
Sterling, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi
Havertz, Werner*, Broja*
25 but Azpilicueta, Alonso, Broja are all likely to move, also they could sell Werner (ziyech move to Milan is almost done)...so really its 22 and they haven't really got any youth on the fringes (if you don't include Broja/Gallagher who I named above)
So really, the two biggest domestic rivals we had last year have a core squad of 22, whereas we currently have 20...so the difference eisnt massive especially when you consider Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner, Loftus-Cheek, Emerson, Hudson-Odoi aren't even close to the level of our back-up
A new winger wouldn't go amiss don't get me wrong, but it's not that bad