Following the statement signing of Declan Rice, we thought we’d take a look at all 24 transfers brought to Arsenal since Mikel Arteta took over as manager.
It’s fair to say the Spanish tactician has transformed the team since he took over from Unai Emery midway through the 2019/20 season, with big names like Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shown the door, and barely any players left from the squad he first inherited.
Much of Arsenal’s success has been with young players like Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba, who were at the club before Arteta, but he’s also been given a lot of money to spend to change the look of this side.
He hasn’t always got it right, but Rice is the latest exciting addition to a new-look Gunners side, and we tried our best to rank them from worst to best below. Let us know what you think!
24. Willian
He may only have been a free transfer, so hardly the biggest waste of money, but Willian was dreadful in his single season at Arsenal and nothing like the superb talent we saw for so many years at Chelsea. Quite what went wrong for him in Arteta’s team is not really clear, but he surely has to be the worst of these 24 signings given the expectations on him when he arrived.
23. Runar Alex Runarsson
Never really intended to be anything more than a backup player, but Runar Alex Runarsson didn’t really look up to the standard required even in that role, prompting Arteta to sign other backup ‘keepers when they became available.
22. Cedric Soares
Initially signed on loan from Southampton, Cedric Soares then made that move permanent on a free transfer. The Portuguese full-back has never really looked good enough for a club like Arsenal, though, which shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise really, given that he also wasn’t really good enough for Southampton when he was there either.
21. Pablo Mari
Arteta’s first signing, but not a particularly memorable one. Pablo Mari had some decent games and could perhaps have continued as a backup player, but he’s not someone the north Londoners will have wanted to rely on too often in order to truly make the step up to the next level.
20. Matthew Ryan (loan)
Played three games and didn’t do much of note, another forgettable signing that never promised too much in the first place anyway.
19. Albert Sambi Lokonga
Despite initially looking like a promising young talent, Albert Sambi Lokonga’s career has stalled slightly and he now looks a long way from playing regularly for Arsenal. Failed to do much on loan at Crystal Palace last season either, so what the future holds for him remains to be seen.
18. Nuno Tavares
Occasionally very good going forward, but not a player with quite the right work rate or discipline to do the job required of him in defence. Likely to be best remembered for a goal against Manchester United, but has since been out on loan with mixed results. A permanent sale surely beckons.
17. Marquinhos
The success of Gabriel Martinelli perhaps persuaded Arsenal they’d found another wonderkid in Brazil, but Marquinhos has flattered to deceive so far. A quiet loan spell at Norwich City last season is a tad worrying, so quite where he goes from here is anyone’s guess, but he’ll need to show some progress soon or he’s going to be another flop.
16. Matt Turner
A decent enough backup goalkeeper, but Arsenal haven’t seen that much of him yet and will probably be hoping they don’t have to for any prolonged period.
15. Dani Ceballos (loan)
First signed on loan by Unai Emery, Arteta then decided to bring Ceballos back again for another loan spell in the 2020/21 season, but for all the hype he just never really looked at home at the Emirates Stadium and they didn’t keep him. There’ll be few regrets about that, even if he’s established himself as a decent squad player back at Real Madrid.
14. Fabio Vieira
There could be a very decent player in there somewhere, but it’s not quite happened yet for Fabio Vieira. The Portuguese playmaker has a lovely left foot, but needs to bulk up a bit physically and generally impose himself on games more. This season will surely be crucial for him, with progress needed sooner rather than later.
13. Jakub Kiwior
A slightly under-the-radar January signing, but Jakub Kiwior made a good impression in a few outings towards the end of last season. Quite how much he’ll get to play in 2023/24 remains unclear, but Arsenal fans can rest easy if he’s called upon as an occasional rotation option – he’s clearly a level up from Rob Holding.
12. Jorginho
Not particularly likely to be starting games week in, week out, but Jorginho looks an astute signing by Arsenal last January. This experienced and intelligent midfield ball player brings a sense of calm and authority when he plays, and looks like he’ll have an important role to play off the pitch as well.
11. Kai Havertz
It’s hard to know where to rank the players who haven’t played yet, but at a guess we think Kai Havertz will end up being a pretty good signing. The Germany international is far from the only top player who went backwards at Chelsea, so Gooners should have some optimism about what Arteta can do with him in the season ahead.
10. Leandro Trossard
A quietly brilliant signing in January, Leandro Trossard made a great impact when he got on the pitch, with many fans feeling he probably should’ve started more matches in that title run-in. The Belgian has been an assist machine for Arsenal, and there’ll also surely be more to come from him as a goal threat next term too.
9. Ben White
A composed performer at either centre-back or right-back, Ben White is a majorly underrated member of this Arsenal squad and in the Premier League in general. Some may have been unconvinced when they first signed him from Brighton, but it looks like great business now.
8. Aaron Ramsdale
It wasn’t immediately clear if Aaron Ramsdale would replace Bernd Leno as number one, and it didn’t happen for him straight away, but what an upgrade this proved to be. The England shot-stopper has made some memorable saves and is clearly a great character to have in the dressing room as well.
7. Jurrien Timber
Again, this can only be a prediction based on our gut instincts, but Jurrien Timber looks like having the potential to be a transformative signing for Arsenal. Arteta has added another of the finest young defenders in Europe to go alongside Saliba, and it’ll be intriguing to see what the young Dutchman can offer either at centre-back or as an inverted right-back.
6.Thomas Partey
A player who doesn’t always get the credit he deserves, Thomas Partey truly bossed Arsenal’s midfield last season and it’s slightly surprising that his future is now in doubt. The Ghana international may have been a little slow to get going when he first joined, but he’s surely a valuable member of this squad who’d be worth holding onto for a bit longer.
5. Oleksandr Zinchenko
Joining last summer, Oleksandr Zinchenko proved key for Arteta to really get this team playing the way he wanted, and one imagines that they wouldn’t have been true title challengers without the Ukraine international. More consistency is required in the new season, but he’s undoubtedly been a hugely important signing in the Arteta era.
4. Gabriel Jesus
Moving from Manchester City along with Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus was another huge piece of business by Arsenal, and there’ll surely be more to come from him in 2023/24. The Brazilian forward showed his quality last season but missed a large chunk of the campaign through injury, so fans will hope he stays fit this time and adds a bit more killer instinct in front of goal.
3. Gabriel Magalhaes
A world class centre-back, Gabriel Magalhaes has sometimes been overshadowed by Saliba’s remarkable rise in the Arsenal defence, but the Brazilian looks one of the bargains of the last five years in the Premier League. He wasn’t the biggest name when he arrived, but he is surely one of the first names on Arteta’s team sheet.
2. Martin Odegaard
What an inspired signing Martin Odegaard has been for Arsenal. After struggling for playing time at Real Madrid, he joined the Gunners on loan initially and took a little while to get going, though he really raised his game once the deal was made permanent. Now club captain and one of the best players in the Premier League, the Norwegian is sure to be vital to the club’s success for the next few years to come.
1. Declan Rice
Of course, he’s yet to kick a ball for Arsenal, but we’re putting Declan Rice at the top simply because of just how massive a statement this is for the club. Arteta has worked his magic to lure such an elite talent to Arsenal as he approaches his peak years, and it’s surely going to ensure major titles are heading back to the Emirates at long last. The price tag is a big weight on his shoulders, but he’s got the mentality to take that in his stride and help lift this team to another level.
What about Auba and his contract renewal?
A lot of Chelsea rejects.
Whoever wrote this list obviously did not watch any of our games last season!
Martin Odegaard was so far above the rest that if you knew anything about football you could not possibly vote for Rice.
Goodness he has not played a single league game for us yet!!!
Was this article written by an AI computer……….