Arsenal will be looking to go one better in the Premier League next season, having run Manchester City close last time out. The Gunners eventually finished five points behind Pep Guardiola's side but with summer transfer additions will be looking to challenge once more at the top of the table in 2023/24.
Edu and Mikel Arteta have already added one new face - signing Kai Havertz from London rivals Chelsea for a £65million fee. And the big spending is not stopping there, with an agreement in place with West Ham United for the £105million transfer of Declan Rice.
That deal is likely to be concluded in the coming days, once an acceptable payment plan is ironed out and Arsenal will be some way to completing a dream squad for Arteta for this coming season.
Rice moving across London for £105million will be a new British transfer record, beating the £100million fee Manchester City paid Aston Villa in 2021 for Jack Grealish. And Arsenal will be hoping the omens are right for Rice to emulate Grealish.
Grealish may not have had the desired impact in his first season at City, improving immensely in the last campaign to justify that price tag, but his first season was a successful one nonetheless. Grealish won the Premier League title in his first season, and his second, essentially justifying that British transfer record.
He is not the only one to have broken the British transfer record and gone on to win the title in their first season either, as research from LegalSportsBooks shows.
READ MORE: Arsenal line-ups with Kai Havertz and Declan Rice as best midfield is revealed after £170m swoop
Grealish followed in the footsteps of Rio Ferdinand, who moved from Leeds United to Manchester United in 2002 - the last time before Grealish that the record was broken - for £29.1million. And duly finished top of the pile with United the next season.
That was in contrast to Ferdinand being the biggest British signing two years previously when moving from West Ham to Leeds for £18million, and finishing fourth in his first season with the Whites.
There are other examples Arsenal can look to though. Andy Cole joined Manchester United from Newcastle United in 1995 for £7million and won the title in his first season. As did Chris Sutton with Blackburn in 1995 after a £5million move from Norwich in 1994 and Roy Keane following a £3.75million move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester United in 1993.
Overall the British transfer record has been broken nine times in the Premier League era, with the player in question going on to win the title in his first season with his new club on five occasions. The lowest a team has finished has been fourth, with Arsenal looking seemingly set for at least Champions League qualification in 2023/24.
Who should Arsenal keep or sell this summer? Have your say below!
