Mikel Arteta promised to go big in the transfer window and now title-chasing Arsenal have no more excuses

TOWARDS the end of last season, Mikel Arteta promised Arsenal would go “big” in this summer window.

The Gunners did not disappoint, spending over £250million – a club record – on practically an entirely new starting XI.

GettyMikel Arteta has been thoroughly backed in the transfer window[/caption]

Eberechi Eze is one of the stars to arrive at the EmiratesGetty

ReutersArsenal also splashed £64million on Viktor Gyokeres[/caption]

And when defender Piero Hincapie – their eighth arrival coming on deadline day – sees his loan move turned permanent for £45m, it will take that total to nearly £300m.

As a result, Arteta has the most complete squad of his Emirates tenure to date as he plots Prem title glory for the first time since the Invincibles of 2004.

The question is: will it be enough?

SunSport’s Arsenal reporter Jordan Davies takes a look at the highs and lows of the window, as well as looking ahead to what more may be done in January…

WAS THE WINDOW A SUCCESS?

You’d have to answer this with a resounding yes.

Arteta’s aim was to be left with a squad that had two top players in each position, one that would be ready to compete across four competitions during a gruelling campaign, especially after the injury issues they had last season that derailed their title charge.

And it is already paying off this term too with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and William Saliba already spending time in the treatment room this campaign.

They have just that. Kepa Arrizabalaga comes in as a worthy No.2 to challenge and compete with No.1 David Raya.

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Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera provide depth, potential and quality in the centre back position, supporting starters Saliba and Gabriel.

Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard offer the same in midfield, allowing Arteta to rotate far more in the middle of the park when the fixtures begin to pile up over Christmas.

And in attack, they finally have a No.9 in Viktor Gyokeres while the likes of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke give Arsenal an unpredictability and edge in wide areas they have desperately lacked in seasons gone by.

Their net-spend has blown their Prem rivals out the water, but when looking at each deal individually, there appears to be great value.

Experienced duo Kepa and Norgaard totalled around £20m, the £51m pre-agreement for Zubimendi looks a steal, as does paying just £63.5m for Gyokeres and £68m for Eze.

The £42m spent on Madueke raised eyebrows, but he is already showing his worth, one of Arsenal’s best players on the right wing for the injured Saka in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool.

Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta had their targets and practically got all of them – something Arsenal have not been able to do in previous windows.

WHO’S THE BEST BUY?

GettyMartin Zubimendi could be the best signing of the lot[/caption]

This is a tough one to answer, and one that we may only have the answer to over the coming weeks and months.

The easy name to throw forward is Gyokeres, with two goals in three Prem games already, he is what the fans have been waiting so long for and although he still needs to adapt, he looks like he will only get better, guaranteeing goals leading that line.

But I’m going to throw Zubimendi’s name into the hat. There is a reason Liverpool wanted him so badly, forced to draw up new plans when Arteta convinced him to pick North London instead.

His anchoring of that midfield will give the likes of Odegaard and Declan Rice to be more attacking-minded, and his nous and calmness on and off the ball could prove to be the catalyst to all that is good with Arsenal this season.

ANY POSITIONS THEY FAILED TO FILL?

GettyNuno Tavares was one of a number of permanent exits this summer[/caption]

No, is the answer. The one negative from this window has not been with incomings but with outgoings.

Only Leeds and Everton have recouped less from players sold this summer, with Arsenal only managing to earn just over £11m from their exits.

This is nothing new for Arsenal, historically struggling to sell first-team stars and fringe players for profit compared to the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea.

Jorginho, Thomas Partey, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney left on frees at the start of the summer – a financial loss Arteta was willing to take to free up space in the squad.

They got £2.6m for Brazilian winger Marquinhos heading to Cruzeiro and £4.3m for Nuno Tavares to Lazio, while Albert Sambi Lokonga was sold to Hamburg for way less than the £17.2m they paid for him in 2021.

Arsenal needed to shift a handful of players on deadline day and they managed to by the skin of their teeth with the clock ticking down, but only for loans.

They have the chance of recouping just over £40m for Jakub Kiwior and Fabio Vieira should Porto and Hamburg respectively decide to cash in after this season’s loan.

Reiss Nelson, to Brentford, and Oleksandr Zinchenko, to Nottingham Forest, are also out the door for 12 months, but there is every chance they will return next summer with their contracts running down and their values even lower.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN JANUARY?

GettyGabriel Jesus may be calling his agent soon[/caption]

That depends. Should Arsenal’s current injured quartet of Saka, Odegaard, Havertz and Saliba recover quickly and they keep the majority of their squad fit, then there will be no need to dip into the market again in January.

Plus, having spent big and not been able to shift players out for significant funds, they will need to be wary of straying away from their current solid FFP position.

However, if the injuries persist, I would not put it past Arteta to strengthen again, especially if he sees it as vital to maintain their push for the title, whether that is leading or chasing.

There could be a decision to be made regarding Gabriel Jesus, who has been out since January following an ACL operation and is expected to return towards the end of this year.

The Brazilian striker now finds himself third-choice behind Gyokeres and Havertz, and with his contract expiring in the summer of 2027, selling him in the winter window could be a good way to recoup some funds ahead of next summer.

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