Last summer's transfer window was undoubtedly a huge success for Arsenal.
The Gunners brought in the likes of Benjamin White, Martin Odegaard, Aaron Ramsdale, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Albert Sambi Lokonga on long-term contracts. They finally had a genuine plan as a bright, young team was assembled and went on to finish fifth in the Premier League last season, securing a return to European football.
The arrivals of Fabio Vieira, Marquinhos, Matt Turner and Gabriel Jesus suggests this summer's window is going to be another strong one for Arsenal, yet the reality of previous transfer mistakes are painfully obvious for manager Mikel Arteta and supporters to see.
Gunners technical director Edu has been tasked with offloading a number of players to free up space in Arteta's squad and bring in more fresh talent. Bernd Leno, Lucas Torreira, Pablo Mari and Nicolas Pepe are among those deemed surplus to requirements.
Worryingly, though, all four players were signed after the departure of Arsene Wenger in the summer of 2018. Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson are also believed to be on Arsenal's transfer list, yet they've both been handed new contracts over the last four years.
If you forget about the success of last summer, Arsenal have made several bad transfer decisions since Wenger's exit. Other failed - and often expensive - signings include Stephan Lichtsteiner, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Matteo Guendouzi, David Luiz and Willian.
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The purchase of Pepe from Lille for £72million in August 2019 is undoubtedly the poorest of them all. The Ivory Coast international has scored just 16 Premier League goals since his record-breaking move and it's staggering to think Arsenal paid that much for him.
"It's worrying at Arsenal," complained Paul Merson last August. "You're still thinking: 'Where are they going?' Edu has come in, and the recruitment has been lazy, if I'm being honest. It's been: 'Oh, we'll take Willian on a free… we'll take David Luiz for cheap.' I remember years ago in football, managers were judged on signings."
Former Tottenham midfielder Tim Sherwood, meanwhile, insisted Arsenal bring in "average players" in the same month. The opinions of Merson and Sherwood may have changed, but Edu is still some way from being deemed a guru in the transfer market.
Although many of the players mentioned above have been moved on, Arteta still has some clearing to do this summer. It could leave the Spaniard with deadwood in his squad, giving him a selection headache and further delaying the completion of his dream team.
Bad recruitment has also set back Arsenal's return to the Champions League and Edu, who was appointed to his current position three years ago, must learn from his mistakes if they are to be successful. They simply can't afford to be complacent in the future.
For the fans, the worry of more bad decisions in the market will linger for a while. It's clear Edu and Arteta have a plan for the future at Arsenal, but they are just one bad transfer window away from it collapsing. The rest of this summer will be interesting.
