Although Arsenal also made significant progress this time around, the 2023 summer transfer window could go down as one of the best in the club’s history.
Mikel Arteta only welcomed four players to the Emirates Stadium that summer, but all of the quartet are now vital starters for Arsenal.
Beginning with the signing of Kai Havertz, Arsenal also then welcomed all of Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and David Raya in the same window.
Timber was cruelly denied his debut season in N5 owing to a knee injury, but he’s certainly making up for lost time right now.
As would have been expected, Rice really hit the ground running last season, a big personality who was already captaining a side in the Premier League.
However, it seems fair to say that both Havertz and Raya began life in north London with one or two hiccups.
David Raya has found his feet at Arsenal after ‘difficult’ duel with Aaron Ramsdale
Havertz’s troubles as a number eight were well documented – you couldn’t move for criticism of the German just over a year ago.
But in duel with Aaron Ramsdale, Raya struggled too, he was making errors you’d never witness from the Spaniard this season.
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That being said, David Seaman discussed Raya’s improvement on Sky Sports News, saying the keeper ‘found it a little bit difficult’ when he first arrived.
Thankfully, Seaman thinks the Spaniard now has his confidence back, explaining why he’s having such a ‘great’ season.
Seaman said: “To be fair to David, he has started this season really well. When he first came in under the pressure of replacing Aaron last season, he found it a little bit difficult, if I am honest, and getting used to the pressure of playing for Arsenal, but then he got his confidence back.
“We are all seeing that this season he has been making some big, big saves at important times of the game. He is having a great season so far.”
Arsenal still need long-term back up for Raya
Right now, Arteta will be very content with Neto as his backup goalkeeper, an experienced head who won’t complain about sitting on the sidelines.
However, looking towards the club’s long-term future, Arsenal will need to recruit a proper Raya understudy.
In the summer, Arsenal wanted Joan Garcia but seemingly decided that the deal would be too expensive, even if he was perfectly suited.
Perhaps that’s a deal the Gunners could revive in the future, however, Garcia is having a storming season in La Liga and might now cost even more come January or next summer.
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