Arsenal's five summer signings ranked from best to worst after £200m spent and forward failure

It's time to put Andrea Berta's five summer signings for Arsenal under the microscope

The transfer window closed last night and Arsenal fans could be forgiven for feeling underwhelmed and disappointed. The message going into this summer from club co-chairman Josh Kroenke was clear - Arsenal had to show ambition to defend their Premier League crown this season.

After the pain of losing the Champions League final, Mikel Arteta said in his press conference that the Gunners needed to be “ambitious, fast and smart.” All the signs indicated that Arsenal were all set for another potential record-breaking summer, with a world-class left winger being of the utmost priority.

And so, when 11pm struck on Tuesday night, there was a huge sense of frustration and even anger directed towards the club’s sporting director Andrea Berta on social media. How had it come to be that, after chasing Morgan Rogers, Kenan Yildiz, Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez, no marquee forward had been brought in?

That is not to dismiss the signing of Christos Tzolis, or any of the other summer arrivals for that matter, who have each simultaneously raised the ceiling and the floor of the squad. But Tzolis, by all accounts, was always meant to accompany another big-name left-winger.

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The departures of Gabriel Jesus, Ethan Nwaneri (loan), Reiss Nelson, Fabio Vieira, and particularly Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, have only fuelled concerns that Arteta will find himself short in attack this season.

1 - Bruno Guimaraes

The biggest transfer of the summer for the north Londoners was undoubtedly Bruno Guimaraes, who sealed a £75m move from Newcastle United in August. It came after a two month long transfer saga where the Magpies repeatedly insisted their captain wasn’t for sale, but Arteta’s powers of persuasion and Berta’s negotiation proved too great.

The midfield dynamo is a crucial signing for a number of reasons. Guimaraes’ combative nature and aggression in the engine room means he can step in if Declan Rice gets injured. But the Brazilian’s incisive passing in the final third means he also brings something different to the team and can be a regular starter.

2 - Ezri Konsa

Ezri Konsa was the final arrival before the deadline. He made a £55m move from Aston Villa in late August and was recently handed his debut against his former club, adding depth to an already exceptional Arsenal defence.

Signing a defender with Konsa’s vast experience and versatility was pivotal, given the injuries to centre-back William Saliba and right-back Jurrien Timber. Perhaps the biggest compliment to Berta for getting this deal done is that Arsenal fans could breathe a sigh of relief knowing they had Konsa to come on when Cristhian Mosquera was taken off injured against Villa.

3 - Piero Hincapie

The agreement for Piero Hincapie’s permanent move from Bayer Leverkusen was actually struck last summer, prior to his successful season-long loan stint at the Emirates. Nevertheless, the £34.5m Arsenal spent on him is an absolute steal in today’s market.

Hincapie became a fan-favourite last season thanks to his tireless work-rate and valiant defending, as well as his handy ability to play across the back-line. While he doesn’t possess Riccardo Calafiori’s attacking flair, the Ecuadorian is very capable of slotting into the starting XI without the team's level dropping.

4 - Christos Tzolis

Tzolis was Arsenal’s third summer signing and the first to really excite fans. The £34m former Club Brugge man instantly impressed too, setting up two goals in Arsenal's 3-0 Community Shield win over Manchester City and producing a marvellous display in his Premier League debut against Coventry City.

His struggles against Villa were a sign of his limitations and perhaps overblown as a result of Arsenal’s failure to bring in their marquee forward addition. But there is no doubt that the Greece international is set to play a key role in Arteta’s side this season.

5 - Illan Meslier

The only signing who is clearly not going to start many games this season is Illan Meslier, who arrived as a free agent after leaving Leeds. This is not a deal that is going to set the world alight by any means, but Arsenal needed a reliable third-choice goalkeeper going into the new campaign.

Meslier, who was the first new addition of the summer, impressed enough in pre-season to the point where some have debated whether he should be the new No.2 to David Raya, given Kepa Arrizabalaga’s tendency to make mistakes.