Mikel Merino of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between Arsenal FC and AS Monaco

How have Arsenal’s summer signings performed so far?

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

We all expected Arsenal to make some attacking signings in the summer, with most fans confident the Gunners would sign a striker.

Arsenal was one of the leading scorers in the Premier League last season, but there was still a sense that they might have won the title if they had a clinical striker.

Despite being linked with players such as Victor Osimhen, Alexander Isak, and Viktor Gyökeres, the Gunners did not sign a striker. Instead, Mikel Arteta chose to further strengthen the midfield and defence—two areas that not many believed required attention during the summer.

Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino joined Arsenal, while David Raya completed his move to the club following a successful loan spell. Arsenal also signed Tommy Setford from Ajax, who has already been useful in at least one Carabao Cup game.

Calafiori expected to miss Liverpool game

Overall, Calafiori has proven to be a good signing, but the defender has struggled with fitness issues, which have caused him to miss several matches. Nevertheless, he shows the potential to become a quality addition to the squad.

Merino joined a midfield that was already one of Arsenal’s strongest areas. While the Spaniard has managed to play, he rarely does anything extraordinary. However, most Arsenal fans would agree that his contributions in his first year at the club have been satisfactory for a start.


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45 Comments

  1. The two of Calafiori and Merino have been waste of fund, when it was evident that the major need of the team are attackers; a winger and a striker.Calafiori was evidently an injury prone player by his history, and so, its not strange that he could not be relied on to stringe 2 consecutive games together. Merino on the other hand has been bang average. Paying 31m pounds on an average 28 year old player you would have gotten for free six months later was unwise. That fund would have been wisely spent on what the team urgently needs. For me, they are both 4 out of 10 signing.

    1. Only two new players give me hope and joy.
      Myles Levis -Skelly – 8.0/10
      Ethan Nwaneri -7.0/10
      New signings
      Calafori – 1.0/10
      Merino -2.0/10
      Raya – 6/10 (has regressed this year)
      Tommy – cannot be judged from a single game, let’s give the lad some more gametime, then decide. Personally I would prefer having Karl Hein
      From the above, MSL & EN have cost us next to nothing, while Mikel’s grand assembly of flops have drained the club resources and are doing a job which Forest players are doing at a fraction of the wages and transfer fees.
      I respect your opinion but find it strange they get a 4.0/10.

  2. Merino was too slow to prevent Tielemans from scoring, but he made an incisive through ball to Trossard that led into our first goal against Aston Villa

    Merino also won several aerial duels and almost scored twice. His abilities in tight spaces and duels have been showing that he’d likely become a very good left-sided AM next season

    As for Calafiori, he seems an injury-prone player and Lewis-Skelly’s close-ball-control skill is better, but his aerial ability is better than Timber’s, Zinchenko’s and Lewis-Skelly’s

    If Magalhaes leaves in the summer, Calafiori could be his perfect successor

    1. @Gai, imo, for Tielesmans header it’s more of Timber responsibility to prevent it, even Patheys position that allowed Watkins goal Timber was supposed to cover that space as a Center Defender. That’s what Saliba would do.

      Merino for first season hasn’t done badly at all, their is more positives. He needs full pre-season. Calafiori would be better as CB he doesn’t have the pace of a left full back.

      We seriously need Saliba and White to be back in time. I am afraid of continuous pairing of Gabriel and Timber. Timber lacksaerial abilities as a CD and his positioning for coners/dead balls not good enough.

      1. I thought that at first re tielemans goal, but it’s not just timber – both he and Gabriel were dragged right across to the right of the penalty area, which left the space from which merino scored, and watching it back, I’m not sure what else they could have done – everyone was tracking someone, and they had to. It was just good play from villa and a great ball into the box.
        Imo merino did well to track his man and put in a challenge tbh. When we talk about scapegoats, this is a prime example, regardless of how good or bad he’s been in general – imo he’s done ok, fit in pretty well without being exceptional, which is what I was expecting, frankly.
        On the second goal, partey did get caught not sticking to his man. That’s undeniable.

      2. Yeah our RW, RB and RCB should’ve done better at preventing Aston Villa from making such perfect long cross

        We need Calafiori back soon if Saliba gets a long-term injury, since Kiwior seems to be heading out and Timber is too short to be a sweeper-CB

    2. Partey was at fault in both goals but why would Magalhaes be leaving in the summer as I’ve not heard that rumour?

      1. Arsenal might want to increase their transfer budget and earn a substantial profit, because they’ve got Calafiori

  3. While neither has set the heather on fire,I think we need to afford them more time to establish themselves .The injuries to Calafiori is a concern, and from what I have seen , I do not feel he will be a solution at LB when Tierney moves on.Basically he is probably an upgrade on Kwior as a deputy for Gabriel.

  4. Merino’s not so bad. He’s started to get a good understanding with Lewis-Skelly & Trossard, which is something we’ve been crying out for since Xhaka left.

  5. Merino is just a ‘good’ player, nothing special and a waste of money and time. We’ve had a couple of years to sign a top STRIKER. Liverpool win hard games with their strikers. Arsenal have thrown away the league to Man City/Haarland the last two seasons and to Jota/Nunez/Salah this season.

  6. So far, They are both 5/10 for me.

    11 days to go and we are yet to sign an attacker or winger. That’s pathetic.

    1. To be honest if we buy Sesko as it seems likely he will be another waste of money.Eight goals in the Bundesliga league isn’t great in fact it is no more than Havertz has achieved.I can’t remember a decent signing by Arteta despite all the money he has spent

        1. Agree SueP, but your inviting a list of players who didn’t make the grade and, to be fair, I believe there will be more than five!!
          You did forget Raya, who has proven many of us wrong, on the positive list by the way.

  7. Merino came from the Euros and got injured, so he didn’t have a proper pre-season with us. Calafiori is getting injured a lot, he hasn’t been getting a consistent run of games and for me he looks a real deal. Both players were very much needed, those positions were really needed the a left 8 and a left back, so nothing wrong with their signings. Not their fault Arteta/Edu chose not to bring a quality forward

    Like Timber just give them time.

  8. So far they’ve both been underwhelming to be honest.

    There was more pressing needs in the team, but for some reason the manager saw fit to sanction the signings of Calafiori and Merino.

    Not for the first time have I found myself bemused by some of the things this manager does and says to be honest. 🙄🤦‍♂️

    1. Yup, we all said we needed attackers and we ended up with Sterling. Very puzzling. Maybe Arteta can stop obsessing over defensive stats and actually get goal scorers next time around.

  9. There is a great cosmic mystery taking place. It can be seen but not understood. It’s know but not acted upon. A manager thinks we are wonderful, but we are shite. Arsenal are this mystery. Every year we are two players from greatness. Every year the same. Second best.

      1. Twig, that’s a very good question 😂😂
        Does it mean that from third downwards, everyone else aren’t constipated 😂😂

  10. It’s clear this is one of the main reasons the season is not going too well. A whole summer wasted and zero players acquired that improves the team.

  11. We let Smith Rowe leave to sign Merino, a dumb move whichever way you look at it. Giving away the potential of a 24 year old for a 28 year old who had peaked. Both are injury prone. As for Califiori, I like his all out approach but hadn’t been aware of his long history of injuries pre Arsenal. Those responsible for signing him should have though. Still I think he is worth persevering with for another season, hoping that he can string together a series of games and find his rhythm. The Stirling signing was just panic decision making which puts a question mark on both Edu and Arteta.

  12. Marks out of 10 for me:

    Raya – 9
    Raya is now arguably the best GK in the league, so a fantastic signing!

    Neto – n/a
    I do not think he’s even played yet, but a back-up GK on loan, so ho really cares. Huge experience though if needed.

    Calafiori – 7
    Needs to work on his positioning, but has shown massive potential which has only been held up by injuries.

    Merino – 5
    Not particularly great so far. Has put in some quality performances with his best coming against the league leaders, but has struggled for consistency. That said, I always give a foreign player at least 1.5/2 seasons to fully adjust, especially in his case not having a pre-season.

    Sterling – 1
    I hate Arsenal doing business with Chelsea, and yet another example why. He has been woeful!

  13. Arsenal transfer dealings in every window:
    – We’re active in the transfer market and will only sign players who improve us.
    – Linked to every big name under the sun for weeks (you’d think we’re signing prime Ronaldinho).
    – Deadline day arrives: enter Chelsea or City’s reject, fresh off the bench, with us hyping them up like a hidden gem we unearthed in the Amazon jungle.

    As a big club, when have we ever made a statement signing of a club’s red hot player on form? City sees a gap, swoops in ruthlessly, and signs highly rated quality—Marmoush this season as an example. Us? We just never learn. Arsenal FC: where hope springs eternal, but ambition forgets to set the alarm clock.

    1. “As a big club, when have we ever made a statement signing of a club’s red hot player on form?” – why do football fans have such short-term memories?

      We beat Man City to red hot Rice, smashing our own transfer record, and one of the biggest deals in EPL history!

        1. So what do you think one of the best, if not, the best box-to-box midfielder in the EPL was worth then?

          And remember Rice’s value was always going to be higher because that we were buying from inside the league, and the good ol’ English player tax. Things that were out of Arsenal’s hands basically.

      1. 👍Lucy78 Imo, overall he has been well worth the price regardless of his fitness issues dragging him down this season. Very few on or off JA felt that it wasn’t a great deal before this season.

  14. Merino seems ok, not brilliant. Seems intelligent and likely to get better as plays more with team. Califoiri I have more doubts. Has looked dangerously slow at times. Like a guy who’s had a lot of leg injuries.

    1. I see Merino as a good all-rounder, that beefs up the quality and depth of the squad.

      His transfer was never intended to be a transformative style transfer like Rice was for us.

  15. Merino has not offered anything new to the midfield, just more of the same. He is not an attacking midfielder, and looks too slow in the midfield to do a job like Rice or even Partey.

    Calafiori looks very injury prone, so he should fit right in with Zinchenko, Tierney, Tomiyasu. Pace is a concern with him, as well as not being able to play 3 matches straight without getting an injury.

  16. Raya = The fourth keeper signed by MA, seems to have got it right this time. 8/10

    Merino = Not needed as we should have kept ESR. 5/10

    Califiori = Not needed as we should keep Tierney and have Tomiyasu, Zinchenko, Kiwior (all MA signings) and a certain young Ashley Cole in the making, that both Mertesaker and Arteta should have realized was ready. 6/10

  17. Well, at the start of the season I wrote my assessment of the three new additions to Arsenal.

    I thought Merino was a solid midfielder, but was not “quick” enough to be a really strong addition that would move us forward. I saw him as a bench player, to be used as a starter only in Cup Games.

    I was more worried about Calafiori, since his injury record was truly worrisome (I believe he is out injured now). In addition, he is not that quick either.
    So, when available I saw him as a strong left back bench player.

    By far the the worst of the new additions, I believe, was Sterling.

    Man City stuck a fork in him and sent him to Chelsea, they quickly stuck a fork in him too.

    The only reason I can think of for Arteta to bring him in on loan to Arsenal, is because he was short of forks at home!!!!

    Not a good Summer transfer window in my estimation!!

    I now read we might be after Cuhna fom Wolves.

    On the face of it, he looks great. However I see him as a very selfish player, not a team player, and as such I do not see him as a good fit for Arsenal.

    I would still prefer Mbouma and see him as a much better fit for us!!!

    1. But dramatic. Both are good players and the team can’t operate without depth. Calafiori was legitimately our first choice LB until he got injured and MLS arrived on the scene and Merino was only ever going to be a squad player. Try to get some perspective. That’s just how much players cost now.

  18. I like Calafiori, although he has been pushed down the pecking order by Miles Lewis-Skelly. I don’t think Arteta could realistically have foreseen his meteoric rise to the first XI, so there is good depth there.

    Merino is a steady player. You aren’t going to get dramatic 10/10 performances from him, he isn’t that type of player. What he hopefully can do though is compliment the holding MF and offer some offensive threat by getting into the box.

    Raheem is a busted flush sadly. I think he could probably still do a job for someone if it was the right team that played the right way for him but at this level with this style of play I think it is beyond him now.

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