Season Review: The Summer Transfer Window

Season Review: The Summer Transfer Window

By Jonny Bray
It's been a strange season at The Emirates.
Sure, the Gunners didn't qualify for the Champions League but the vibe has not been this good in North London for years.
The fans believe in the team again, and with that in mind, what better way to celebrate a rollercoaster 12 months at Arsenal than with a season review?

All change during the summer of 2021

Plenty of players left the club during the 2021 summer transfer window.
Héctor Bellerín, Mattéo Guendouzi, William Saliba and Reiss Nelson all went on loan in search of more first team football.
We can expect to see a few of those young stars return to The Emirates in years to come, but some called time on their Arsenal careers last summer.
Willian left, bowing out gracefully after agreeing to end his contract with the club, while his compatriot David Luiz also departed.
Some of the players who left played a big part in the 2020/21 season, but we doubt many Arsenal fans will feel we missed them this campaign.

A new transfer strategy

For once, Arsenal approached this summer with a clear and coherent transfer strategy, targeting the best young English talent and astute deals from abroad.
That started with the arrivals of Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga.
Fine, they haven't walked straight into the first team but Tavares has shown considerable character to recover from a shocker against Crystal Palace.
He has since proven himself a really solid addition, while Lokonga has shown the same inconsistency you'd expect from any 21-year-old.
Takehiro Tomiyasu was next, and what a signing he was, revolutionising the right side of Arsenal's defence.
In the era of £50 million full-backs, £16 million was an excellent price for the Japanese international.
Some people did raise their eyebrows at Aaron Ramsdale's price tag after the goalkeeper joined the Gunners for nearly £30 million.
But he has blown people's expectations out of the water during a storming first season as Arsenal's number one.
As has Martin Ødegaard, who hasn't looked back since he switched his loan spell for a permanent contract.
He appears to be well on his way to fulfiling the immense potential he showed when he signed for Real Madrid at the age of 16.
And at £31 million, Ødegaard represents another coup for Arsenal's recruitment team.
Ben White signed to end an exciting summer for Gunners fans.
He may not have got everything right this season but he has always kept his head up and looks like he could be a top Premier League centre back in a few years.

End of the window

So there was plenty of entertainment for Arsenal fans ahead of the 2021/22 season but that is no guarantee of success.
Many neutrals were saying that Arsenal had wasted their money.
But were they right?
You'll have to check back tomorrow when we'll be taking a look at how this fresh and exciting Arsenal squad got on in August and September.
Photo Credit: Getty Images

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