Arsenal welcomed five players to the club in the summer, three permanently and two for the 2024/25 campaign.
After missing out on the Premier League title last season by only two points, there was great hope that Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar would do the necessary work in the transfer window.
The Spaniard and Arsenal’s former sporting director orchestrated five arrivals, two of which came late on deadline day.
David Raya, Mikel Merino, Riccardo Calafiori, Neto and Raheem Sterling represented the Gunners’ business of the 2024 summer window, here’s how Arsenal Insider think they’re doing so far.
- READ MORE: How much Arsenal paid to sign every 2024/25 first-team squad player in the transfer market
Grading Arsenal’s summer transfers
David Raya – A*
Undoubtedly the best transfer of the summer was making Raya’s move from Brentford to Arsenal permanent following his 2023/24 loan.
The goalkeeper was involved in the drama created by Arteta in a bid to replace Aaron Ramsdale and since the dust has settled, the Spaniard has not looked back.
Raya has reached a new level this term and is comfortably the Gunners’ best piece of business from the summer, arriving for just £27m.
Mikel Merino – C
It’s been quite the start to life at Arsenal for Merino and not in the most positive way.
The Euro 2024 winner signed for the Gunners after great speculation however, had to wait to make his debut due to sustaining a freak injury during his first training session.
While Merino has impressed in spells when on the pitch, it’s clear that the former Real Sociedad requires more time to adapt to his new surroundings, limiting his grade to a mid-range C.
Riccardo Calafiori – A
Another impactful capture has been the £42m arrival of Calafiori, who when in action, has displayed just how much of a boost he offers Arteta’s squad.
Not only does the Italian add a new dimension to the back line, playing either side or centrally but is a smart source of investment being only 22 years old.
It seemed that the manager deemed it necessary to bolster the left side of his defence after the 2023/24 campaign, with Calafiori doing just that.
The only fault is that the Gunners would like to see more of the new arrival, who is currently sidelined due to injury but, the early signs display a phenomenal acquisition by Arteta and Edu.
Neto – U
A signing is rarely classed as ungradable however there’s not been any evidence to suggest that Neto has been a hit or a miss.
The Brazilian arrived on deadline day to replace Aaron Ramsdale’s spot as number two to Raya, filling out the options between the sticks.
While the Bournemouth loanee is an established Premier League goalkeeper, his arrival was somewhat of a blunder from Arteta and Edu, signing a cup-tied ‘keeper.
As a result, Neto is yet to make an appearance, seeing academy talents Tommy Setford and Jack Porter fill in for Raya in the EFL Cup.
Raheem Sterling – F
Somehow, Arteta and Edu realised incredibly late just how short Arsenal were on the wings, signing Sterling on a last-gasp loan from Chelsea on deadline day.
The Englishman arrived as a talent who has earned the status of a Premier League icon but also a player whose form has been questioned for some time.
While Arsenal ensured that the finances were right to take Sterling from Stamford Bridge, it’s become clear that the manager isn’t overly convinced.
The 29-year-old has completed 90 minutes just once so far for the Gunners which came against Preston North End in the EFL Cup, other than that, his minutes have been sporadic.
Having not yet made an impact in red and white, it’s difficult to grade Sterling highly given how Arteta and Edu could have recruited instead.
Mikel Arteta’s transfer errors are already clear
Moving on from the gradings, it’s been a worrying start to the season for the Gunners, who have a win rate of just 45% in the Premier League this term.
11 games in, Arsenal sit nine points below league leaders Liverpool, representing how far Arteta’s squad are from the title race at this moment in time.
Things might change however, the poor start only reinforces the mistakes that the manager and Edu made in the summer, with recruitment as a whole pretty poor on reflection.
Competition on the wing was required to support Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, while a striker would have been a smart signing given how short the squad is going forward.
Injuries have impacted Arsenal’s slow start to the campaign but, such would not be as prominent of an issue had Arteta recruited sufficiently in the summer.
It already appears that there’s a lot of work to be done in January if the North Londoners truly want to compete for silverware this term as the current depth is simply inadequate.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
