Arsenal wrapped up their summer transfer business in the early hours of Saturday morning, with the final touches being made as the cleaning crew was already at work at the club’s London Colney training ground. Staff worked late into the night to finalize a crucial loan deal for Raheem Sterling, marking the end of a busy transfer window.
Despite the last-minute nature of the deal, Arsenal are pleased with the overall business they’ve conducted. Sporting director Edu expressed pride in the club’s accomplishments, highlighting key signings like Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino as important additions that align with their strategic goals. The club aimed to enhance squad depth, allowing manager Mikel Arteta the flexibility to rotate players throughout a demanding season.
Sterling’s signing is particularly significant in this regard. While he may not be the marquee forward fans were hoping for—especially with Arsenal being linked to Spain star Nico Williams—Sterling brings a wealth of experience and familiarity with Arteta’s style of play. His motivation to prove himself after being sidelined at Chelsea adds another layer of determination to his arrival at Arsenal. The financial details of the deal also worked in Arsenal’s favor, with no loan fee involved and a favorable wage split with Chelsea for Sterling’s £300,000-a-week salary.
Arsenal’s decision to bring in Sterling, however, comes after allowing Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira, and Reiss Nelson to leave. While this might raise concerns about depth in attack, it’s worth noting that these players collectively managed just 1,968 Premier League minutes last season, less than Gabriel Martinelli alone. Sterling is expected to fill this void effectively, offering a potential upgrade in quality.
In addition to Sterling, Arsenal bolstered their defense with the signings of Calafiori and Merino. The team’s defense now appears stacked with talent, particularly with the long-standing issue at left-back finally addressed. Arteta’s challenge will be to manage playing time for his defenders to keep everyone satisfied.
While Sterling and Merino are solid, sensible signings, Arsenal may need to consider younger options in midfield in the future, as both Jorginho and Thomas Partey are over 30. However, the club’s approach this summer was to be prudent, and they achieved this while still turning a profit. Nuno Tavares’ loan move to Lazio, set to become permanent for around £7 million, is an example of this financial prudence.
Arsenal’s spending this summer totaled just over £100 million, including making David Raya’s loan permanent for £27 million and signing Tommy Setford for £1 million from Ajax. The deadline day saw another loan deal, with Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto joining alongside Sterling. Arsenal balanced this spending by earning nearly £90 million from the sales of Aaron Ramsdale, Nketiah, and Smith Rowe, with the latter two being academy graduates, representing pure profit.
Additionally, Arsenal generated around £10 million from the sales of academy players Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Charlie Patino, and Mika Biereth, alongside £6 million from sell-on clauses related to former players. This cautious yet effective approach to the transfer window has left Arsenal well-prepared for the season ahead while ensuring financial stability.