Arsenal get £49m vindication in transfer hesitation but Viktor Gyokeres miss may hurt

Arsenal added more than double the number of players Manchester City or Liverpool signed in the summer transfer window. Five players were signed, with four new faces plus a permanent move for David Raya but the sales were what grabbed the attention of many Hale End graduates like Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe bringing in more than £60million.

Yet many were left feeling a sense of lacking when the deadline passed at the end of August and that the Gunners had missed out on some key players that might have added something. It was not through a lack of want, that should be made clear, Arsenal had some marquee targets but these did not work out for a variety of reasons.

Viktor Gyokeres

A player linked with the club throughout the window but in reality was never pursued with much meaningfulness was Viktor Gyokeres. The Swede has since admitted himself that the €100million (£84million) might have been too high and put off potential suitors after a great season.

The pressure has been on Gyokeres therefore to deliver a second season to hold the interest and prove that his 50-goal contribution campaign was not a one-off, and with 15 after just seven games, he is doing a great job at just that. So much so that many have suggested Arsenal should have taken the gamble and may end up regretting not making the move.

Benjamin Sesko

The noise that surrounded the deal for Benjamin Sesko earlier in the year was always louder than the reality as football.london reported earlier in the summer that the priority was a central midfielder which they eventually got in Mikel Merino with no striker coming in. Sesko was keen to see his future resolved before the Euros and at that time the Gunners were not in a position to pursue his £50million-plus release clause at the time, especially with Nketiah’s sale not being confirmed until deadline day.

Since then Sesko signed a new contract which is believed to have both a new release clause and a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with RB Leipzig that he can leave next summer should an appropriate offer come in from a club he wishes to move to. So far this season he has not scored in the Bundesliga but has for Slovenia in the Euros whilst he did notch an assist for Leipzig in their big 3-2 win over champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Nico Williams

One of the main targets was one of the stars of the Euros, Nico Williams. It seemed for much of the fallout from the summer win that the Spaniard would join Barcelona but instead, he opted to remain in Bilbao yet Arsenal were always keen although the wages and up-front €58million (£49million) release clause appeared to be obstacles along with the payer’s own position.

Williams has not started off the new season in amazing form after his summer success, however. He is yet to claim a goal or assist for club or country in six appearances with Athletic Club suffering as a result, winning just one of their opening four games, and perhaps giving interested parties cause for pause on a move next summer should things change.