Premier League: Decoding the 2023 summer transfer window of Arsenal
After finishing second in the Premier League last season, Mikel Arteta was keen on adding more reinforcements in this summer transfer window to compete with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. Therefore Arsenal have added some very talented names to their roster who will be improving their depth and also bringing quality to their team. Here we decode Arsenal's summer transfer window.
Why does this story matter?
Arteta replaced Granit Xhaka with Declan Rice, while he brought in more depth in defense by signing Jurrien Timber. He needed a player who could be dynamic in attacking positions and hence they went ahead with Kai Havertz. Apart from signings, the Gunners have also generated a good amount of revenue from the departures of Folarin Balogun, Xhaka, and Matt Turner.
Major arrivals, departures and transfer sums
Arsenal made a club record signing when they signed Rice for £105m. Meanwhile, Havertz and Timber joined the North London outfit for £65m and £38m respectively. Arsenal roped in David Raya on loan from Brentford. Balogun left Arsenal and joined Monaco for €40m, whereas Xhaka also joined Bayer Leverkusen for £21.5m. Turner moved to Nottingham Forest for £7m, while Pablo Mari joined Monza (£3.70m).
Arsenal cashed in on Auston Trusty and Rob Holding
USA international defender Auston Trusty joined Sheffield United for £4.90m after spending last season on loan at Birmingham City. Trusty has signed a four-year contract with the Blades. Notably, the defender was Birmingham's Player of the Year last term. Meanwhile, Rob Holding has also moved to Crystal Palace for £4m and has signed a three-year contract. Nicolas Pepe has joined Turkish outfit Trabzonspor.
A look at the stats of the new arrivals
Rice made 37 Premier League appearances last season, scoring four goals. He clocked 88.05% passing accuracy and amassed 79 tackles, 55 clearances and 63 interceptions. Havertz returned with seven goals in 35 appearances in the 2022-23 Premier League. Timber made 47 tackles, 66 clearances, and 42 interceptions in 2022-23 Eredivisie. Raya kept 12 clean sheets and registered 154 saves in the Premier League 2022-23.
Arsenal have done great business in the summer transfer window
While they have signed high-profile players like Rice, Havertz, Timber and Raya, they have generated good revenue by clearing the surplus who were not in Arteta's plans. Arsenal now have the squad to compete with Manchester City. But in terms of quality in every department, Guardiola's men are still ahead of the North London outfit. However, Arteta will take inspiration from last season's fight.
Arsenal are unbeaten in the Premier League 2023-24 season
After four matches in the Premier League 2023-24 season, Arsenal remain unbeaten with three wins and a draw. Before the international break, Arsenal won a highly entertaining contest against Manchester United by a 3-1 margin.
