Another transfer window—well two, actually...thanks FIFA Club World Cup—has come and gone. The window slammed shut on Monday as clubs scrambled to submit deal sheets in the final moments to wrap up their summer business. No more refreshing the countless blogs, ITKs, team reporters and more. For now.
Deadline day got caught in Liverpool’s gravitational pull as Alexander Isak, not Marc Guéhi though, finally completed a move to the Premier League champions. Two British transfer records smashed in two months and two weeks, not bad.
Over £3 billion ($4 billion) spent in one summer across the entire league. An utterly bonkers number, though one not to be ultimately deciphered and unpacked right now. This isn’t Economics 101. It’s all about who was brought in where, do they fit needs, are they taking a team to another level?
Perennial bridesmaid for the last three years running, Arsenal, had a clear objective: compile a squad worthy of finally taking home the Premier League trophy. Or, any trophy for that matter. If not for Isak breaking up with Newcastle United virtually during the PFA Awards, much of the window likely lies in singing Arsenal’s praises. It still has to translate to a trophy, but the amount of business done leaves little to be desired.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s grades for Arsenal’s most important transfer window in recent history.
Best Signing: Eberechi Eze
The word was Kai Havertz’s knee injury pushed Arsenal to explore one further attacking signing this summer. Injuries derailed campaigns in the past, but last season was something of a nightmare in attack.
Arsenal lost Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka for lengthy periods last season. The emergence of Ethan Nwaneri helped somewhat in regards to Saka, but Mikel Arteta chose to deploy makeshift striker Mikel Merino up top for most of the run-in and Champions League. Less than ideal for a side expected to challenge for major honours.
When it was revealed Havertz was going to miss some time after undergoing knee surgery, Arsenal went out and got a deal done for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze in what felt like 30 minutes. And, in the long run, one last phone call to see if a move was possible and the ensuing board meeting could turn out to be their best signing of the summer.
Eze is everything Arsenal needed and more. Yes, a striker. Obviously a striker, too. But, what fans saw in a 20-minute cameo at Anfield speaks volumes to what’s been lacking since their first title challenge. The free-flowing Arsenal that were blowing past teams to an eight-point lead in 2022–23 became more tactical and reserved on the ball. Perhaps a symptom of how they collapsed in the end, but also one that highlighted their inexperience against top dogs Manchester City pushing Arteta to be more conservative at times.
Since then, Arsenal’s left side in particular has looked ineffective more often than not. Not to mention, opposing sides grew in confidence to double, triple-team Saka and Martin Ødegaard to nullify the opposite side. Bringing in Eze, while not an out-and-out left winger gives Arsenal a threat on that side when he’s on the ball.
Someone who can drop a shoulder and send a defender the wrong way. Someone who can link up with the marauding Declan Rice or Viktor Gyökeres before receiving a slipped-in ball. He has the technical ability in all fields to be a true difference-maker on that side of the pitch. How Arteta ends up deploying him, because he also poses a threat to the captain’s starting job as well, remains to be seen. But, for now, this is a signing that should be celebrated for everything Eze brings to the Gunners.
Statement Signing: Viktor Gyökeres
Gyökeres, almost by default, is the statement signing of the summer. Finally, Arsenal pulled the trigger on bringing in a centre forward. A gamble, too, for sure. If the signing was Benjamin Šeško, Dušan Vlahović, Ollie Watkins or anyone else linked to Arsenal in recent history, anyone not named Isak would have been a gamble. Kylian Mbappé could probably do a job for Arsenal, too.
The point is how much attention, and rightfully so, has been given to the Arsenal striker job. “They need a striker. A 20-goal striker will take them over the line,” everyone sang in unison as the Gunners failed to create chances for the umpteenth time against a low block.
Three games in, it’s fair to say he’s been hit-and-miss. Some of that is a lack of a full preseason, most of that is Arsenal’s reluctance to fully involve him in the play and the overall tactical adaptation with having an out-and-out scorer up top with his physical, channel-running qualities.
Things should get better over time. Two goals in three is certainly acceptable on the surface, but behind it is the context of blanking at Old Trafford and Anfield.
Gyökeres will not be watched under a microscope because he couldn’t hack it in the Championship and only broke out against lesser competition in Portugal. He’ll be monitored because he’s meant to be the man up top to take the Gunners over the line. How it plays out is anyone’s guess, and any sour grapes will likely be combated by, “Well, look how bad Šeško is,” if the Slovenian doesn’t hit the ground running for Man Utd and Arsenal walk away without a trophy.
For now, all eyes are on Gyökeres to see if he can be the man.
Biggest Surprise: Piero Hincapié
Just as frontline injuries affected Arsenal’s attack, the Gunners have had their fair share of notable injuries in defence as well. Over the past three seasons, Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba, Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori have all spent notable time on the shelf. Saliba, no less, already came off injuried this season after twisting his ankle in the Liverpool warm-up.
Cristhian Mosquera, a 21-year-old signing from Valencia, didn’t look out of place for most of the game. A little nervy on the ball at times for sure, but if not for Dominik Szoboszlai’s moment of brilliance to decide the game, Mosquera likely gets the plaudits for the shift he put in.
And just when it looked like Eze would be their final deal of the window, Andrea Berta brought in one more reinforcement: Bayer Leverkusen invincible and Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapié. A left-sided centre back who is comfortable also playing on the left, Hincapié represents an upgrade on Jakub Kiwior and gives Arsenal at least two solid options in every backline position.
A loan that likely becomes a permanent move next summer grants Arteta the grace to rest Gabriel at times without worrying his quality at the back drops. The ability to field strong units in cup games where Arsenal all too frequently have gone out early since lifting the FA Cup.
If Arsenal have to deploy Mosquera and Hincapié as a central pair this season, and they likely will at some point, they’ll be comfortable doing so.
Biggest Outgoing Transfer, Or Lack Thereof
Much has been made of Arsenal’s outgoing business in recent history. Given the stars to lace their boots in N5 over the past 30 years, you’d think some would fetch big fees on the way out.
Nope. Folarin Balogun and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stand as Arsenal’s record sales at £35 million ($46.9 million). After that, Eddie Nketiah for £5 million less, Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe.
While there were a flurry of loan deals done on deadline day, two players stand out still in Arsenal’s squad: Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.
Trossard, strangely, received a pay rise this summer but did not see his overall stay at the Emirates extended. A move painted to reflect the Belgian’s increased role since joining in January 2023, but one that doesn’t protect his overall value long term if a club comes in for him before his contract expires.
Martinelli, on the other hand, was this young forward Arsenal plucked out of the Brazilian fourth division and turned into a world beater at times. Electric pace, fearless in attack. He’s scored some of the most memorable goals over the past three seasons. His performance against Liverpool highlighted his drop in form against a makeshift fullback in Szoboszlai. Not too dissimilarly to how frustrated Man City fans would get with Jack Grealish on the left. Stagnant, apprehensive, a poor first touch, in and out of the play.
Come January, if Eze has made the left wing position his own, Trossard and Martinelli could be on the chopping block.
Arsenal’s Transfer Window Grade
They got their striker. They reinforced the defence, brought in their top midfield target in Martín Zubimendi. Eze and Hincapié at the death, overall a window Arsenal fans have rarely seen in recent history. Lest we forget the Stephan Lichtsteiner, Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira and Sokratis Papastathopoulos type of windows.
Eze likely occupies the left side this season on a consistent basis, but there was still a need to add a truly dynamic winger out there who could allow the former Palace man to play centrally. Ødegaard still has his detractors having seen his form drop over the past few seasons, but the creative ceiling of having the club captain and Eze on the pitch at the same time is certainly tantalising. It just has to click and that comes down to Arteta.
It wouldn’t be an Arsenal transfer window without a couple Chelsea signings, too. The Gunners signed Kepa Arrizabalaga and Noni Madueke from their London rivals. While spurned often by the Blues, both deals are solid on the surface and shouldn’t be overtly criticised given the full context of the window. Madueke certainly looked most comfortable on the right against Liverpool after playing on the left against Man Utd and Leeds United. That’s where he should play and is a solid option behind Saka.
Christian Nørgaard we haven’t seen yet in official matches since picking up an injury, but should be a fine depth piece in midfield. Long-term extensions for Gabriel and academy stars Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly shouldn’t get overlooked either. If Saliba and Saka follow, job completely done on that front.
Arsenal also got some loan deals done on deadline day sending Kiwior to Porto, Reiss Nelson to Brentford, Oleksandr Zinchenko to Nottingham Forest and Fabio Vieira to Hamburg. Albert Sambi Lokonga also joined Vieira in Germany on a permanent deal. Though, still, Arsenal have yet to show some financial nous in recouping notable money for fringe players.
For now, a more than respectable window that likely gets amplified if silverware follows.
Overall Grade: B+
Arsenal Incoming Transfers: Summer 2025
*Fees inclusive of potential add-ons
Arsenal Outgoing Transfers: Summer 2025
*Fees inclusive of potential add-ons
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Grading Arsenal’s 2025 Summer Transfer Window.
