Arsenal 2021/22 summer transfer window grade: A success?

It’s over. Like Frodo sitting on the slopes of Mount Doom after ridding himself of the One Ring, the trials and tribulations of the summer transfer window can be put to bed. Arsenal are done. We’re done.

All of those pre-summer buzzwords that had toes tingling and spines shivering may also be cast aside: ‘ruthless’, ‘unprecedented’ are terms we kiss farewell to. And, £150m later, there is something very different looking in north London compared to what finished last season.

Takehiro Tomiyasu completed the final action of the summer window on deadline day and as with all transfers that take place in the last dregs of a 12-week period, questions will arise over whether or not he constitutes a panic buy, or clever control to wait for a cheaper deal, if that was even the case.

With a combined 14 first team faces coming and going over the course of those grueling 12 weeks, which carries on from what had already began in January, it certainly constitutes an overhaul.

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Arsenal 2021/22 summer transfer window grade: Mikel Arteta spends club record £150m on six new signings

It’s one that isn’t finished, however. Oh no. One does not simply overhaul an entire squad from rubble to riches in a single window. It’s impossible.

This is a start, though. The question that lingers is whether or not it’s a good enough start. Could Arsenal have done more? Is there enough mitigation to justify why certain deals didn’t happen and why others did?

A lot will depend on the bigger picture. On the one hand, signing six players for positions that fill the roughly seven areas that needed seeing to is a close to the most realistic outcome. Are they the right players, though? Could that have arrived sooner in the window with Arsenal not sat rock bottom of the Premier League after their worst start to a campaign for 67 years?

To break down a grade for the summer it’s best to look at the incomings and outgoings as separate sections and forge a consensus from there. So, starting with the arrivals.

Arsenal’s Summer Transfer Window Signings Graded

The aforementioned seven areas to hit were a key aspect of this window: goalkeeper, right-back, centre-back, left-back, two midfielders and a playmaker.

These changed over the course of the window as certain outgoings would dictate their respective incomings, like the early realisation that Granit Xhaka wanted to depart, which would mean two new central midfielders. Equally, if the striker situation had changed then a centre-forward became high priority.

Focussing on arrivals, Arsenal managed to secure six out of their seven key areas. For one window, that’s fairly good going.

Crucially though, they’re all young. Ben White is the oldest of them all and he’s only 23 years old. Thus, how successful they will be is something supporters may not get to see for another one or two seasons. These are players who will all theoretically peak around the same time and will we see the fruits of those labours this season? It’s highly unlikely.

Who will make an instant impact is clearer: White is a certified starter and if his pre-season outings against Chelsea and Tottenham are anything to go on (Brentford takes a back seat) then he is someone whose impression on this team will be felt this term.

Martin Odegaard is the other obvious candidate. While we would have liked him to have arrived earlier, Arsenal had to bide their time for Real Madrid to sanction his sale and signing him on an initial £30m is excellent business. His ceiling is sky high and when fully fit he changes the dynamic of Arsenal’s attacking style: balance and brains.

£150m is a lot. The most of any Premier League club. It’s also very important to note that wages will be considerably smaller than most as these are young arrivals, while it’s money that has been spread out across six positions. Chelsea, for example, spent £100m on one player, because that’s all they need; a new engine for their sportscar while Arsenal had only the chassis to begin with.

An injection of youth has been put into this squad where the effects won’t begin to tell this term. It’s a complete rethink of strategy that has been long overdue. Is there the right balance for the now, though? Maybe not. Another midfielder would have gone down well, too.

Grade: B

Continued…

Arsenal’s Summer Transfer Window Departures Graded

All summer supporters were reliably informed by those on the Arsenal journalism beat that any new arrivals would have to be supplemented by player sales.

Apparently not.

Joe Willock was the only permanent sale at £25m. It was fabulous business at the time, and is even better now considering that was the only cash injection all summer barring a handful of loan with options/obligations to buy. Some which may or may not work out.

And this is the overriding gripe from the window: 21 players have left from the first team and academy yet only one came with a permanent transfer fee. There are numerous reasons for this and finding the balance between mitigation and self-inflicted wounds is the troubling part.

Mikel Arteta’s handling of Eddie Nketiah and Lucas Torreira, as two examples, are behind why they were so hard to shift. Then there is Alexandre Lacazette who should have been sold 12 months ago and will now play down the final year of his deal before leaving for free, with his case being a combination of poor strategy and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

In normal circumstances, there would be a market for him.

Other clubs across the Premier League and Europe also failed to sell fringe players. It was a universal issue. Arsenal didn’t, however, help themselves in their leading up to this point and spending £125m net is a huge risk as many of their assets will walk away for free in 12 months time or in some cases have their deals cancelled.

Willian walking away from £20m is truly quite remarkable.

There are other names who shouldn’t be here. Plenty in fact. The balance in the squad is at least better though, but why loan moves weren’t completed for Folarin Balogun, for example, after the striker situation ended up in failure is questionable.

Grade: C-

Continued…

Arsenal’s Overall Summer Transfer Window Grade

Those who Arsenal brought in are signings that were overdue. There had to be focus on the longer-term strategy in a more sustainable manner, and signing six players 23 years of age or under on lower wages with greater resale value was the necessary step to take.

While it’s hoped they’ll all be roaring successes, they also enter the same boat as Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe and the others earlier in the summer having committed to Arsenal long-term. The belief is that they’re good enough to elevate this team and bring success, but if not the club won’t be shackled by ageing players nobody will want. There is always a market for young players. Always.

Do we believe them to be good enough? Well, Edu and Arteta have given us plenty of reason not to trust their talent ID: Mari, Cedric, Willian and Runarsson spring to mind.

In this case we just have to believe they know what they’re doing. They don’t deserve that, but there isn’t much choice.

More could have been done. What weighs this window down is the departures and had more been successfully facilitated it could have opened the door for that one more arrival to impact the team straight away. Whether that was selling Xhaka and bringing a new dynamic to the midfield or using £30m worth of goalkeeper cash elsewhere, had more departures been arranged then that one final piece could have arrived.

But, as stated, it’s one window. One in a brutally tough market to navigate with the pandemic and the calibre of player Arsenal were looking to ship being either too expensive or not good enough to play for an eighth place side. That’s not easy.

Did the club stray too far onto the youth/mid-term side? Perhaps.

We’ll have to wait and see.

Final Grade: B-