Arsenal have already dropped their first points of the 2023/24 Premier League season following last week’s 2-2 draw against Fulham, and it’s clear that Mikel Arteta still has plenty of work to do in order to turn his squad from also-rans into league champions.
The summer transfer window saw just four new arrivals make the journey to the capital and with Champions League football returning to the Emirates following a seven-year hiatus, it remains to be seen whether they are ready for the step-up in quality.
Who did Arsenal sign during the transfer window?
Goalkeeper David Raya arrived on a season long loan deal as experienced cover for Aaron Ramsdale, while defender Jurrien Timber joined from Ajax alongside Kai Havertz from Chelsea and Declan Rice from West Ham United in what was a saga which stretched for the majority of the summer window.
A grand total of £208m was spent and with the spine of his team significantly improved from last term, a lack of depth may prove to be Arteta’s undoing, especially if the club go on deep runs in Europe and the domestic cups.
Timber was injured in their opening Premier League match of the new season and faces the prospect of missing the entire season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury, while Havertz has yet to sparkle, failing to score or grab an assist across four matches for the club.
Rice, on the other hand, has been a wonderful signing and although it’s early doors, he could become a mainstay in the Arsenal midfield for the next few years and cement himself as a legend.
How has Declan Rice performed this season?
Having led West Ham to their first trophy in over 40 years as they claimed the Europa Conference League last term, it was inevitable Rice was leaving the club.
The £240k-per-week gem has embraced the challenge of playing for a bigger team extraordinarily well, and he looks comfortable at this level.
The midfielder has an average Sofascore rating of 7.37 from his three league matches so far, good enough to rank him fifth in the squad, while he ranks third for accurate passes per game (69), tackles per game (three) and second for interceptions per game (1.3), already displaying his passing and defensive skills to the Emirates faithful.
It’s no wonder he has previously been described as a “Rolls Royce” by journalist Joshua Mbu, and he is exactly the type of player that Arsenal requires in the heart of their midfield if they wish to be challenging the likes of Manchester City for the league title.
Rice will only get better by playing with players such as Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka and this should elevate his game to the next level in the coming years.
Arteta was also keen on another midfielder during the summer transfer window and although a deal failed to materialise, it's evident Rice is the better player.
Could Arsenal have signed Moises Caicedo?
Along with Rice, the saga involving Moises Caicedo was also one of the longest-running transfer sagas of the entire summer, with a whole host of teams showing interest in the young Ecuadorian starlet.
The Gunners had two bids rejected by Brighton and Hove Albion for the player back in January and they reignited their interest once the transfer window opened in June.
Chelsea were also keeping tabs on the youngster and as soon as the Rice move accelerated, Arteta focussed on securing the Englishman, leaving a plethora of clubs to do battle over the in-demand gem.
It was those at Stamford Bridge who did eventually secure Caicedo's signature for what could turn into a British record fee of £115m, with that representing £10m more than what Rice cost Arsenal earlier in the window.
They have struck gold on the 24-year-old however, and he is arguably a better player than Caicedo. Indeed, last season, Rice registered more goals and assists (five v two), shots per 90 (0.96 v 0.8), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.75 v 2.52), a higher percentage of challenges (62% v 58.8) and completed a higher percentage of successful take-ons (55.6% v 51.9%), clearing proving that he outshone Caicedo over a variety of metrics last term.
When compared to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues, Rice ranks in the top 5% for interceptions per 90 (1.78) and the top 15% for progressive carries per 90 (2.33), demonstrating that not only does he win the ball back often during matches, but he also drives forward with it on a regular basis in order to create chances.
In comparison, Caicedo ranks in the top 15% for interceptions per game (1.53) while ranking outwith the top 60% for progressive carries per 90 (1.12) when compared to peers, showing that he isn’t as forward-thinking compared to the Englishman.
Although Caicedo made more tackles (2.7 v 2.1) and won more total duels per game (5.9 v 4.4) than Rice in the top flight last season, Rice’s statistics are still excellent, and his attacking output will be key to any future Arsenal success.
Despite the extravagant cost, Rice has shown the pedigree in the Premier League which will allow him to blossom into one of the finest midfielders in the country in what will hopefully be a trophy laden spell for the player at Arsenal.
Caicedo is already outshining the majority of players in the league and while he is still only 21-years-old, there is no doubt he will continue to get better in the coming years.
There was no way Arteta could have afforded both talents, especially with the current nature of the transfer market, but he has certainly struck gold by signing Rice.
Having won the first piece of silverware of his career last season, the midfielder will be eyeing more glory at the Gunners during the 2023/24 campaign as they look to claim their first league title in 20 years.
Although it will be difficult to repay the £105m they shelled out on him, it’s clear they have signed a generational talent who will give them years of service over the next decade if he stays fit and healthy.
