Highlights

• Arsenal's turnaround under Mikel Arteta has been incredible, pushing Manchester City for the league title last season.
• Arteta has made 26 signings since arriving at the club, with some faring better than others.
• Among Arteta's best signings are Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus, Declan Rice, and Ben White.

Arsenal’s turnaround under Mikel Arteta has been nothing short of incredible.

When the Spaniard arrived at the club in 2019, they were falling further behind the other Premier League title contenders. But last season, the club pushed Manchester City all the way, coming so close to getting their hands on a first league trophy in nearly 20 years.

To get to that point, though, Arteta and the Gunners have made several signings to boost their chances of success. Four have arrived this summer alone for big sums, including Declan Rice and Kai Havertz for a combined total of £170m.

David Raya, Arsenal’s newest recruit, arriving from Brentford takes the total number of transfers Arteta has made to 26. And with some arrivals faring much better than others, the team at GIVEMESPORT thought we would rank every signing Arsenal have made with the Spaniard in the dugout.

26 Willian - Chelsea - Free

We couldn’t really put anybody else bottom here, given the disastrous nature of the transfer. Initially, signing Willian from Chelsea for nothing looked to be a stroke of genius from the club, especially when he bagged three assists in his first league game against Fulham.

But the move quickly took a turn for the worse. The Brazilian admitted in an interview that he wanted to quit Arsenal just three months after joining, and his contract was terminated by the club by mutual consent after just one year.

25 Rúnar Alex Runarsson - Dijon - £1.8m

This is harsh in all honesty, but given who else features on this list, there wasn’t anywhere else Runarsson could go. The Icelandic shot-stopper has played just six matches for the Gunners since joining from Dijon. In one of those outings, he dropped a clanger against Man City in the Carabao Cup.

Spending time on loan at OH Leuven, Alanyaspor, and now Cardiff, it does not seem like Runarsson has a future at the club. Especially now that Raya has arrived.

24 Auston Trusty - Colorado Rapids - £2m

Trusty joined Arsenal in 2022 but was immediately loaned back to Colorado until the summer of that year. He spent last season on loan at Birmingham City but has now completed a permanent move to Premier League new boys Sheffield United for £5m. Hardly a disaster of a move given that the club made a profit, but seeing as Trusty never made an appearance for Arsenal, we can’t put him any higher.

23 Mathew Ryan - Brighton - Loan

While he regularly played for Brighton, Ryan was little more than a backup for Bernd Leno at the Emirates. He made just three appearances for the club before returning to the south coast after six months. Not a terrible move, but just not one that brought success to the club.

22 Nuno Tavares - Benfica - £8m

Tavares had looked a promising option while at Benfica, with the then 21-year-old described as a young player with, “great promise.” But after one season in English football, Arteta deemed it necessary for the club to buy another left-back (we’ll get to him later).

He was loaned to Marseille, and reports have linked him with a move away from the club before the transfer window slams shut. Hardly a sign that he has met Arsenal’s expectations.

21 Albert Sambi Lokonga - Anderlecht - £17.2m

Lokonga has found matches hard to come by since joining Arsenal back in 2021. Last year, he was limited to just 195 minutes and spent the second half of the season on loan at Crystal Palace. Like Tavares, the 23-year-old is linked with a permanent move away from the club, with Arteta not seeing him as a long-term option in midfield.

20 Matt Turner - New England - £7.5m

Turner wasn’t exactly a bad transfer, but his limited game time means that he can only rank so high on this list. Signed in 2022 from MLS side New England Revolution, the 29-year-old only made seven appearances for the Gunners in his only year at the club.

Now Nottingham Forest’s new number one, Turner will likely get more minutes in the 2023/24 campaign. He had a good performance on his debut against Sheffield United and could have a key say in whether Forest remain in the top-flight

19 Marquinhos - Sao Paulo - £3m

This is someone who could potentially move up this list in years to come. At just 20 years old, Marquinhos has loads of potential, but he hasn’t been tearing up any trees in the Premier League just yet. Limited to just six outings so far for the Gunners, he has recently joined Nantes on loan for more regular game time after scoring just once while on loan at Norwich.

18 Pablo Mari - Flamengo - £8m

Arteta’s first signing at the club was a decent one. Mari was initially signed on loan, but Arsenal made the move a permanent one six months later. He never set the world alight for Arsenal, playing just 22 times and missing multiple games because of an ankle injury. He has recently left and joined Italian side Monza, with the 29-year-old looking to feature more often for his new team.

17 Cedric Soares - Southampton - Free

There will be some of you who think that Soares is way too high on this list, but given his years of service for the club, we think it’s warranted. Signed initially on loan from Southampton before making a free transfer, the Portuguese defender has been a decent backup option for Arteta, playing 59 times in all competitions. He isn’t reportedly in his manager’s plans moving forward, and he won’t be remembered as a brilliant bit of business, but hardly a terrible move either.

16 Jakub Kiwior - Spezia - £20m

We’re making a small step up here in terms of quality of signing. While he hasn’t been incredible since joining in January this year, Kiwior is only 23 years old and has the potential to become a squad player this season. Although it will be quite a challenge for him to make a starting spot his own.

15 Takehiro Tomiyasu - Bologna - £19.8m

Tomiyasu has had good moments in an Arsenal shirt since arriving in 2021 but has fallen down the pecking order following the arrivals of other defenders in the last two seasons. Still reliable when called upon and only 24 years old, though, he has featured in both of Arsenal’s opening games of the 23/24 season. Unfortunately, he was shown a red card against Palace, but with Jurrien Timber ruled out through injury, Tomiyasu might have a key role to play if Arsenal want to push for the title.

14 Fabio Vieira - Porto - £34m

Arteta has expressed how much he loves Vieira in the past, believing that he can be a “dangerous” option for him going forward. But the midfielder has only made three Premier League starts since joining the club in 2022. Hardly a show of faith.

Still only 23, though, there is potential for him to become an excellent player. But with more midfielders arriving this summer, he could spend even less time on the pitch.

13 Kai Havertz - Chelsea - £65m

This is a tough one to call. Havertz struggled to live up to expectations at Chelsea after excelling at Bayer Leverkusen. But with the German playing a deeper role for Arsenal than he did for his last club, he could rediscover his best form at the Emirates.

If he manages to propel Arsenal to the top of the table, expect him to rise up these rankings during the coming months. But if he fails to shine, he could drop further down.

12 Jorginho - Chelsea - £12m

Another former Chelsea man. Jorginho has been a fairly decent option for Arteta when called upon, playing 17 times since making the switch in January this year. Likely to play a supporting role this season to new midfielder Rice, the Italian will still be a useful player to turn to in times of need.

11 David Raya - Brentford - loan

Just missing out on a spot in the top 10 is Arteta’s newest signing. Clubs were vying for the former Brentford man, including Arsenal’s rivals, Tottenham, and Bayern Munich. But Raya decided that the Emirates was the best place for him to be.

Seeing as he hasn’t even played a game yet for his new club, it would be unfair to put him any higher. But with Arteta stating that there are “no number ones” in his team, might we see him break into the first XI soon?

10 Leandro Trossard - Brighton - £27m

The top 10 really is brimming with talent, and we’re kicking things off with former Brighton man, Trossard. After falling out with Roberto De Zerbi, Arsenal snapped up the winger as backup for Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. But the Belgian has impressed since joining, registering 10 assists in 24 matches already.

Although he has been restricted to just the one substitute appearance so far this season, expect Arteta to turn to him once the cup competitions all start.

9 Jurrien Timber - Ajax - £38m

After a superb performance in the Community Shield against Manchester City, there was a lot of excitement surrounding Timber as he made his league debut against Nottingham Forest. But it ended in disaster for the Dutchman, as he was forced off with an ACL injury which will keep him out for months.

Nevertheless, we’ve seen enough to think he will be a massive hit once fully fit. The 2021/22 Eredivisie Player of the Year has added quality and depth to the Gunners’ backline.

8 Gabriel Magalhaes - Lille - £27m

Solid, dependable, vocal. Everything you would want from a starting centre-back. Gabriel has been a first-choice defender for Arsenal ever since joining in 2020, playing all 38 matches in the league last season as Arsenal pushed for the title.

But he hasn’t started either of Arsenal’s opening matches in the new season, and speculation has been rife about him possibly leaving the club. A surprising twist in his Arsenal career given that he has been so good for the past three seasons.

7 Thomas Partey - Atletico Madrid - £45m

On his day, Partey is one of the best midfielders in the league. A physical presence in the middle of the park who can help out in defence and attack, there aren’t many who think his move from Atletico Madrid has been a poor one.

There had been reports about him potentially leaving the club this summer, but the Ghanaian has played the full 90 minutes in both of Arsenal’s matches this season. A sign that he is still in Arteta’s plans.