Arsenal have spent a whopping £255 million in a busy transfer window at the Emirates. Declan Rice’s call for Arsenal to spend large sums of money during the summer was met with great enthusiasm.
Arsenal, who have two wins and one loss so far in the Premier League season, host Nottingham Forest at the Emirates on Saturday. Forest have just sacked Nuno Espírito Santo and hired Ange Postecoglou as their new manager.
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The Gunners spent an impressive £255 million on new players, including names like Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze. Mikel Arteta, of course, knows that chasing Liverpool for their first Premier League title since 2003 will take a huge effort, and it looks like Rice has had his personal wishes fulfilled.
After falling short in both the Champions League and the Premier League last season, the consensus is that Arsenal are English football’s newest ‘almost-men’.
The Gunners have pressured Manchester City and Liverpool in recent years, but have failed to finish the job in a period of tireless rebuilding. But Rice knew all along that investment was necessary, and it seems that the former West Ham player has now had his wish fulfilled.
Shortly after Arsenal’s exit from the Champions League against PSG in May, Rice stated: “Hopefully we strengthen during the summer and sign more players, because we’re probably going to lose some as well.”
“We will be back next year, ready, stronger and even more hungry to win something for this club. That’s what we all want,” Mirror Sport reported earlier this year.
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Rice was right to suggest that players would leave the club, not least Reiss Nelson, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira and Jakub Kiwior, who all left on loan.
But Arteta’s need for competition is now clearer than ever, and how the Gunners will respond after September’s international break remains a mystery.
The loss to Liverpool at Anfield could ignite the extra spark Arsenal need, especially as they have already recorded two impressive wins against Manchester United and Leeds United before the defeat on Merseyside.
As always, the Gunners are well favoured, but consistency is key. Arteta’s team knows what it takes to win the Premier League title, having been so close in recent seasons. Whether their new addition can topple rivals like Liverpool and Manchester City remains to be seen.
