Evaluating Arsenal’s Summer Transfer Window

With the English Premier League summer transfer window not closing until close to midnight on September 1st, there is still a lot of time for all clubs to bring in players who could transform fortunes and make millions of fantasy football managers rue their matchday one selections. 

Arsenal has already conducted a number of transfer deals during the offseason but, at the time of writing, there are still rumors surrounding the departure of Gabriel Martinelli and the possible arrival of Julián Alvarez. There will be plenty of other players linked with a move to the Emirates in the next few days, leaving any definitive assessment of Arsenal’s transfer window a little obsolete.

Although Arsenal won the league last season and most online betting sites have the Gunners down to repeat, everyone knew that there was going to be some players in and out the door at the club. Now that the season has officially kicked off, we thought we would take a look at the new arrivals so far. There could be more to come, but these are the ones we already have an opinion on.

Piero Hincapié

With an ability to play across both center and left-back positions, the Gunners were very keen to complete the permanent signing of Hincapié after a successful campaign on loan from Bayer Leverkusen last season. The Ecuadorian slotted in seamlessly in both positions and adds a great deal of depth to the squad.

After suffering an injury at the beginning of his loan spell last year, Hincapié played in 39 games across all competitions, always adding something to the team and fitting in nicely with Arteta’s tactics. After what will probably seem to him to be a disappointing World Cup with his national side, Hincapié will be looking to play even more this season and keep the likes of Calafiori and Lewis-Skelly on the bench.

Ilian Meslier

After being the number one choice at Leeds United for five seasons, covering Premier League and Championship campaigns, it would have come as something of a shock to Ilian Meslier that he was considered the third-choice keeper at Elland Road last year after the club was promoted back to the top-tier.

Meslier joined Arsenal on a free this summer and will have arrived as third-choice at the Emirates, although with the potential of being David Raya’s backup if Kepa Arrizabalaga decides to leave. This transfer is purely about the depth of the squad, and it is unlikely we will see Meslier getting much game time, which is probably not too bad as the Frenchman has been known to make critical mistakes at times.

Christos Tzolis

Although not the biggest transfer of the summer, it might be argued that Christos Tzolis’ arrival from Club Brugge is the one with the most potential to add something to the Arsenal game plan. After Trossard’s departure, Arteta has brought in extra attacking firepower in the form of one of the real stars of the young Greece national side.

Tzolis has scored over 20 goals in each of the last two seasons in Belgium, including some in the Champions League, and seems to tick all the boxes when it comes to an Arteta winger. His pace and eye for goal are perfect for this Arsenal team, while his eagerness to defend if needed will be admired by the fans as well as the manager. Time will tell if he can have a real impact on the Premier League, but he is another example of the type of exciting young player coming through at Arsenal now.

Bruno Guimarães

The marquee signing of the summer (so far) for Arsenal, the arrival of Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle, also has the most potential to backfire if things do not get off to a smooth start. There is no reason why the Brazilian midfielder shouldn’t seamlessly fit into the Gunners’ attacking unit, but big transfers have failed before.

After becoming a talisman for Newcastle in recent seasons, Guimarães indicated he wanted a move to North London very soon after his national side exited the World Cup, and his £75 million transfer was swiftly concluded. Arsenal already have players who can conduct the play in the middle of the pitch, but Guimarães can strengthen that position and also find other more direct roles within the squad to contribute. This is one signing that could make a real difference this season.

Ezri Konsa

As part of the exodus from Villa Park this summer, Ezri Konsa completed his move to Arsenal just a day before the new season kicked off with that convincing win over Coventry. Konsa will have already been able to talk to a number of Gunners in the England squad in North America about whether he should join the champions.

Konsa started every one of England’s games during the World Cup, aside from the semifinal defeat to Argentina when he came on as sub, and will be able to fit into a side that has an unfortunate history of losing central defenders to injury. Konsa’s experience will be crucial, as will his ability to play right back if needed. A Londoner who stayed in the capital even when he was playing for Villa, Konsa is a great addition to the squad and may well be called on frequently as the campaign goes on.