Arsenal to complete 5 out of 7 transfers with £58m deals

Arsenal are getting there. A window full of fanbase panic, internal struggle and rumours galore, the August 31 deadline is closing in with Mikel Arteta edging nearer to the promised land of a squad he is more content with.

Bringing in three players thus far, the work completed has seen Arsenal bolster their worrying left-back department with the addition of Nuno Tavares to supplement Kieran Tierney. Not a signing to set the pulses racing, it was nonetheless a vital piece of business.

Ben White came into fill the gap left by David Luiz’s permanent departure and the temporary exit of William Saliba. His debut against Brentford was far from reflective of what the club hope his £50m acquisition will bring, but it’s early days.

In midfield Albert Sambi Lokonga wasn’t expected to be regular first team addition but having performed a huge u-turn on Granit Xhaka’s future, the club ended up replacing the Swiss with the Swiss and therefore the Belgian’s arrival can be framed as Dani Ceballos’ replacement, more than anything. He’s looked incredibly promising.

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Arsenal to complete 5 out of 7 key transfers with £58m outlay on deals for Aaron Ramsdale and Martin Odegaard this summer window

The last of those three deals was completed three weeks ago and the period since has been fraught with the danger of turning a toxic environment into a chemical wasteland with the opening day Premier League defeat adding to the struggles of shifting unwanted deadwood.

But Arsenal are getting there.

Having seemingly pulled the plug on a deal to sign Aaron Ramsdale from Sheffield United, the selling club softened their already expensive stance with a valuation that, while cheaper, remains, y’know, expensive.

Back at the negotiation table with all sides confident of a deal being struck as per numerous sources, aided by the work of agents and Ramsdale’s desire to return to the top tier of English football, a transfer that could total £28m edges closer.

Having previously shown unwillingness to pay an upfront fee of more than £20m, some reports state that with add-ons included it could total the aforementioned number, while others have the figure slightly lower at £24m. If the add-ons include playing in the Champions League Arsenal can rest a sigh of relief.

Backup goalkeeper – this deal is with a view to replacing Bernd Leno at some stage – fell into the non-negotiable bracket this summer and while Ramsdale will (could) arrive as one of the most universally unwanted players by supporters, the club have secured their number one target at a fee they feel reflects his value.

The second one also appears somewhat imminent and it’s a bargain, truth be told.

Continued…