Arsenal already know next transfer priority after near-perfect window | OneFootball

Pre-summer promise was kept as Andrea Berta went almost blemish-free

Your matchday briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Simon Collings

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Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke was bold in May when he laid out the club’s transfer plans for the summer.

“As a club, we’re striving to win major trophies and, on the men’s front, we know we have fallen short of what we all wanted this season,” said Kroenke.

“We plan to invest to get behind winning and doing better next season. We’re delighted we have our sporting director, Andrea [Berta], who will play an important role in this.

“He is part of a unified and strong team, supported by the board, who are crystal clear on exactly what we need to do and the way in which we want to do it.”

Kroenke has been true to his word, and this has been an unprecedented transfer window for Arsenal.

Eberechi Eze and Mikel Arteta

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

The deadline-day arrival of Piero Hincapie made it eight new signings at an outlay of around £250million. That figure is expected to rise to £300m next summer, when Hincapie’s loan move from Bayer Leverkusen should be made permanent.

Berta has led Arsenal’s transfer negotiations this summer and impressed in his first window as sporting director.

The Italian was hired for his track record of getting deals over the line, and he has delivered Arteta a squad capable of fighting for multiple trophies.

Arteta admitted last month that this is the most complete squad he has had in his five and a half years in charge - and it is hard to argue with that.

The attack has been bolstered by the arrivals of Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres, while Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi provide fresh options at the base of midfield.

Arsenal’s defence, already the best in the Premier League over the past two years, has been strengthened further with the additions of Cristhian Mosquera and Hincapie.

If there is one blemish on this window for Arsenal, it is sales

The signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga is perhaps the least eye-catching piece of business, but £5m for a back-up goalkeeper of his quality looks astute.

Last season, Arsenal was derailed by injuries. This time, they appear far better equipped to cope.

On Sunday, during the 1-0 defeat at Liverpool, the Gunners were without five first-team players, while Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard were only fit enough for the bench.

William Saliba’s early withdrawal compounded those problems, but Arsenal were still able to compete.

“In every position now, we have a different quality, a lot of players that can play in various positions as well with a lot of versatility, bringing different kinds of qualities and threats to the team,” Arteta said last month.

“So we’re going to manage that in the best possible way to maintain everybody with the right cohesion, hunger and the fact that at any moment we can change the puzzle and make it very difficult for the opposition.”

Piero Hincapie billed as the final piece of the jigsaw

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

If there is one blemish on this window for Arsenal, it is sales. Once again, the club have failed to generate significant funds from player departures.

This has been a recurring issue in recent years, and it speaks volumes that their record sale remains Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s £35m move to Liverpool in 2017.

The hope had been to secure permanent exits for the likes of Fabio Vieira, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Reiss Nelson, but instead they have gone out on loan again.

Jakub Kiwior’s move to Porto, which will become permanent next year for over £20m, represents progress. Yet Arsenal must improve as sellers - particularly in an era of strict financial rules and regulations.

Their rivals, notably Chelsea and Liverpool, both banked in excess of £200m from sales this summer. Arsenal will hope that bigger numbers follow now that they have assembled their deepest and most balanced squad in years.

A stronger squad should mean fewer difficulties moving players on, and Berta will aim to prove he is not only a dealmaker but a salesman, too.