Arsenal have signed seven players this summer, and Liverpool manager Arne Slot has now revealed what he thinks of the Gunners’ business.
Andrea Berta has spent over £250 million in this transfer window, significantly strengthening the depth and quality of Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Viktor Gyokeres has arrived from Sporting CP as a marquee addition, while the likes of Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Martin Zubimendi have also been acquired by the North Londoners for substantial fees.
Arteta will hope to field a few of these new signings when his team visits Anfield on Sunday afternoon, in what is an early-season title race six-pointer.
Arne Slot issues verdict on Arsenal’s new signings
Arsenal will likely be directly competing with Liverpool for the title this season.
Thus, Sunday’s match on Merseyside could have a significant impact in determining who ultimately claims the prestigious piece of silverware in May.
Liverpool have been active in the transfer market this summer, signing the likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike.
While the Reds have spent big, they haven’t bolstered the overall depth of their squad like Arsenal have, with the Gunners now boasting at least two quality options in each position.
Arne Slot was asked about the North London club’s transfer business in his pre-match press conference on Friday, and the Dutchman was very complimentary with his response.
“Now we face a very strong team, that was already really good last season,” he said.
“I think they’ve improved their squad a lot this summer.”
Asked specifically about Arsenal’s striker situation, the former Feyenoord boss said: “They have a different number nine to last season but [Gabriel] Jesus was a real number nine, but he didn’t play much.
“The one they have now is different to [Kai] Havertz for example, or [Leandro] Trossard, who played last season in our home game over there.”
Arsenal have had a better summer transfer window than Liverpool
While the signings of Wirtz and Ekitike are undeniably excellent additions who will elevate the quality of Liverpool’s attack for years to come, there are some question marks around the rest of Liverpool’s business.
The Merseyside outfit have left themselves short at centre-back, relying on Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate to remain fit for the entire duration of the season, even if they have added 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni.
Meanwhile, Slot’s team are also incredibly light in forward areas, relying on Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha to cover for their starting players.
On the flip side, Arsenal have recruited well across the board, adding in a number of areas to ensure they can compete on multiple fronts and won’t be burnt out through fatigue or injuries.
The Gunners have gone for the depth approach, rather than a handful of expensive first eleven additions, and this should pay off.
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