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The transfer window has officially shut. We will rate Arsenal's 2021/22 transfer window in this article.
Arsenal are last in the league with a -9 goal difference and are yet to open their account for this season in terms of both points earned and goals scored.
Going into the transfer window, a lot had to be done at Arsenal. They had some deadwood they needed to shift and sign players. While they did manage to get some of these players out and splash around £156.8m, you may have to forgive Arsenal fans, who think they had an underwhelming transfer window.
Major incoming transfers at Arsenal
1. Ben White
Ben White had an excellent season at Brighton, which saw him called up for the Euro squad. He was a target for every Premier League “big club” and Arsenal won the race. Even though they had to pay a premium price of £50m, signing one of the young and upcoming British defenders could pay off in the long term. Rival fans might point out that he's only had one top-flight season, but that shouldn’t worry Arsenal fans.
There is the question of whether Arsenal needed him, especially at that price tag. Because it wasn’t the defense they had trouble with last season, but further up the pitch.
Only time will tell how this transfer will turn out.
Our rating: B+
2. Nuno Tavares
Arsenal have signed the Benfica youngster for a measly £8m, and it should represent good business from them.
Yes, Tavares wasn’t exactly kicking it off the park at Benfica, and he wasn’t brought to do that at Arsenal either. Arsenal wanted a backup option for Kieran Tierney, and Tavares should provide that. Given his and Tierney’s age, there might be healthy competition at the club for the left-back position over the next decade. Arsenal fans would welcome that.
Our Rating: B+
3. Albert Sambi Lokonga
Going into the transfer window, Arsenal needed someone to partner up with Thomas Partey in midfield. Both Xhaka and Elneny were not working. Enter RSC Anderlecht and Belgium midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga. Signed for £15.75m plus add ons, Lokonga was brought in to provide competition in the squad after Dani Ceballos went back to Real Madrid.
If his performance so far is a sign of things to come, it looks like Arsenal have pulled off a huge coup here. He looks very comfortable on the ball and is unfazed by the pace of the Premier League.
Our rating – A
4. Martin Odegaard
After a successful loan season at the club, Arsenal had to wait to sign Odegaard. It was widely reported that he was Arteta’s first choice creative midfielder target, but for much of the window, it looked like Arsenal were not going to get him. There were even reports that Arsenal were concentrating on signing Leicester City’s James Maddison as the deal for Odegaard looked highly unlikely.
But then Real Madrid flinched. Arsenal moved in and got their man. Odegaard is now expected to do what he did so well in his loan spell, providing the front three with a defensive splitting pass.
Our rating – A+
5. Aaron Ramsdale
Why would you sell Emiliano Martinez for £20m, only to spend £30m on Aaron Ramsdale just 12 months later? That was the question most Arsenal fans asked when they signed Ramsdale from Sheffield United. Fingers were also pointed at the fact that Ramsdale suffered back-to-back relegations with Bournemouth and Sheffield United. While you cannot blame him for the relegation, you cannot also fault the fans for questioning the transfer.
The only thing we know is that Ramsdale will fill the home-grown quota; he has plenty of experience and is still young. Chances are that if he is given enough time, this might turn out to be a very good move by Arteta and Edu.
Our rating – B+
6. Takehiro Tomiyasu
After searching for a good right-back all transfer window, they finally got one over the line on deadline day in Takehiro Tomiyasu from Bologna. With Bellerin wanting to leave, Cedric and Chambers unconvincing, it was clear that Arsenal were in desperate need of a quality right back. They reportedly even tried to hijack Tottenham’s move for Emerson Royal, only to get knocked back.
So why not get revenge on Tottenham by signing one of the players they have been linked with all summer? Tomiyasu is a Japanese international who is comfortable playing both right back and center-back. His versatality will be a huge asset for Arteta in the coming years. If he can replicate the form he has shown in Italy, then this could be one of the deals of the summer.
Our rating – A
Major transfers out of Arsenal
1. Konstantinos Mavropanos - Stuttgart on loan with the option to buy (€7m).
Let’s be honest, Mavropanos is not going to get his chances at Arsenal. So this was a good move to give him a chance in a league where he has already proven himself.
2. Matteo Guendouzi - loan to Marseille with an obligation to purchase (€1m + €11m)
Arteta doesn’t fancy Guendouzi. It is very clear. In fairness, he has caused trouble wherever he went. So to finally get him off the wage bill is a good move. But that shouldn’t overshadow the talent that is clearly there.
3. William Saliba – Loan to Marseille with no purchase option
Ah, the question of the century. Why would Arteta send him out on loan again when Arsenal’s defense is in shambles? Why not give him the fair chance that he deserves? Nobody knows, except Arteta. The only thing that is clear is that Arteta simply doesn’t fancy Saliba, though it’s hard for fans to understand what Arteta sees in Pablo Mari and Rob Holding that he doesn’t see in Saliba.
4. Lucas Torreira - Loan to Fiorentina with an option to buy
Here is another player Arteta doesn’t see eye to eye with. Torreira struggled last season at Atletico Madrid, and this time he decided to move to a familiar patch in Italy, where he made his name. This should be a good move for the player, where he will be surrounded by familiar circumstances. As for Arsenal, if everything goes well, they will be able to make some money at the end of the season.
5. Reiss Nelson – Loan to Feyenoord
One’s curse is another one’s boon. That's what we can say about this transfer. Feyenoord were all set to sign Amad Diallo from Manchester United, but an injury to the player put an end to the deal. They immediately turned their attention to Nelson, who will now spend a year in the Netherlands. With Eredivisie’s reputation to develop young players, this should be a good school for Nelson to learn from.
6. Alex Runarsson – Loan to OH Leuven
Brought in to replace Emiliano Martinez, it is fair to say that Runarsson is nowhere good enough for Arsenal or the Premier League. It is a good thing that Arsenal found a taker for the player and got him off the wage books. With Aaron Ramsdale arriving, there is no way for the 26-year-old to get playtime this season at Arsenal.
7. Hector Bellerin - Loan to Real Betis
The “will they won’t they” question was finally answered on the deadline day. Arsenal wanted to offload the player and he wanted to leave. Earlier this transfer window, they tried to sell him to Inter Milan but the Nerazzurri failed to agree terms with the Gunners. Since then, there have been no takers for him, and it looked like he was going to stay. But, Real Betis came on the deadline day to sign him up, and Arsenal were happy to let them. Overall the move should delight both clubs and the player. Bellerin has been struggling lately, and a move back home should help him revitalize his career.
8. Willian – Free
When Arteta snapped Willian for free from Chelsea, it was hailed as a great steal, but twelve months later, he leaves the club. Fairplay to the player, who didn’t hold the club for ransom and walked away for free. But this was one of the most disappointing transfers in the club’s recent history. The underlying thing is that Arsenal wanted Willian to replicate his form at Chelsea, he couldn’t, so he left. And Arsenal have a £240,000 per week free on their wage bill.
Overall rating of Arsenal’s transfer activity – B-
As mentioned earlier, while Arsenal have done most of the things they planned to do this summer, the fans still won't be happy about it. After spending around £156.8m, Arsenal’s first team still looks the same as last season’s.
The Gunners had planned to sell Xhaka but offered him a new contract. They failed to offload Sead Kolasinac and started him against Manchester City. These are some moves that were unwelcome by a big section of fans.
There were also questions about why Arsenal would spend so much on defense when they needed to be more upfront. They clearly need a goal scorer, with Lacazette and Aubameyang struggling. While a move for Lautaro Martinez would have been unrealistic, they could have signed someone like Danny Ings for £20m.
