Arsenal complete 3 out of 7 key summer transfers

What a difference a day makes. It was panic stations among the Arsenal faithful as the build-up to the second pre-season fixture of the season had only seen one new face walk through the doors before Ben White was announced as a done deal.

Not a done deal per se, but subject to a medical following his holidays, White will join Mikel Arteta’s side as a club record fee for a defender after Brighton accepted a bid of £50m for the centre-back.

Following on from Nuno Tavares and the imminent Albert Sambi Lokonga, the mood has lifted in and around the club with three interestingly profiled signings. White may be costing an arm and a leg but put the fee to one side and he’ll be an excellent addition.

They’re obviously not out of the woods yet though. Not even close.

https://twitter.com/PainInThArsenal/status/1416166087633379328

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta complete 3 out of 7 key summer transfers following £50m Ben White agreement with Brighton

Facing Rangers on Saturday with only Tavares on show, the severity of the situation is plain to see, primarily in the departure lounge.

These three signings have barely scratched the surface of what needs doing this window and as reassuring as it is to see a large deal like that as close to cut and dry as possible, if the window closed tomorrow it’d be about 15% complete. If that. Good thing it isn’t, then.

Ignoring the sales needed, which are plentiful, there are four more areas that require activity. It would be some feat to have them all be solved this summer.

But with White as good as done Arsenal can move onto the other four areas to bolster this window: backup goalkeeper, starting right-back, starting central midfielder and high quality attacking midfielder.

The seven areas to target have been whittled down to those four, albeit four the of toughest signings to make. The latter three will all cost a significant amount of money and even the backup goalkeeper, looking very likely to be Aaron Ramsdale, will set Arsenal back upwards of £20m.

Right-back will be pushed to the bottom of the list. If an opportunity presents itself that is too good to ignore then it will be acted upon but of the quartet it’s the position that can be best supplemented with those already in the squad.

Calum Chambers starting the Premier League season would not be a total disaster. Mohamed Elneny playing alongside Thomas Partey would. No alternative to Emile Smith Rowe would…well, we already know how that went.

This the territory fans can either fret or excite. The two midfield additions have the potential to transform the outlook of this tea considerably; the difference between eighth and fourth.

We lie in wait.