Former Arsenal midfielder and now well known pundit Paul Merson has admitted that Edu and Mikel Arteta have proven him wrong with their £150million transfer spend last term.
The Gunners invested significant amounts in their project youth on signings that weren't the marquee names so didn't get the attention others may have. Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares were all acquired for a combined value of around £150m, as per Transfermarkt.
A figure that had many rival fans alike laughing at the decision making of the Arsenal hierarchy but as we now approach the midway mark of the March international break, many fans and pundits are having to do U-turn's on their initial assessment of the north Londoners' dealings of the 2021/22 summer transfer window. All of the aforementioned quintet have played their roles in helping Arteta's side take control of the top four race and achieving Champions League Football alone would signal progress in many people's eyes and justify the expenditure made that was initially questioned by many, including Merson.
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He admitted on talkSPORT: "I like what Arteta is doing, I really do. The signings he brought in this season, everyone has been an absolute success and a half. I’ve never known a window like it. When he was bringing those players in I was thinking ‘I’m not sure about them’.
“The goalkeeper [Aaron Ramsdale] had let in more goals than anyone else in the last three years. Tomiyasu, I always think that if you are playing in Italy and no one wants you then you can’t be that great.
“Ben White, there was a thing of whether he was a centre-half or not. Was he a holding midfield player? Odegaard, did he want to go back to Real Madrid.
“I think all of them have been absolutely outstanding. Then the young kids like Saka and Smith Rowe, Partey has been outstanding and Xhaka is playing well. Tierney never lets you down and Gabriel I didn’t think he could play that well.
“When you talk like that, he’s been great Arteta and so has Edu really. He took a lot of stick for giving Aubameyang all the money he did and was quite lazy by bringing in Willian. I thought he was just bringing in friends, but now fair play to him.”
With a move for a striker lined up this summer, with Manchester United's Marcus Rashford currently hot on the agenda, perhaps supporters and pundits like Merson will think twice before writing off the next set of Emirates arrivals.
