Arsenal entered the transfer window as reigning Premier League champions with grand ambitions, buoyed by a belief that rivals were in flux amid managerial upheaval. The club drew up a shortlist of more than 20 players, casting their net as far as Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Tottenham. Yet as the window closed on Tuesday night, the mood among sections of the Emirates faithful was one of frustration rather than triumph.
The headline arrival was Bruno Guimaraes, who joined from Newcastle United for £75m. Arsenal had monitored his situation throughout the summer, though other midfield targets, including Sandro Tonali and Alex Scott, were initially considered higher priorities. Complications over price and availability - Tonali eventually joined Spurs for a minimum £92m - pushed Guimaraes to the top of the list by mid-June. Sporting director Andrea Berta used his existing relationship with the Brazilian's representatives to push the deal through, reportedly without direct club-to-club contact with Newcastle until the final days.
Defensively, Arsenal secured Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa, a deal that proved similarly intricate. Manager Mikel Arteta viewed Konsa as his preferred defensive option, valuing his versatility to play right-back as well as centre-back. An initial £40m offer was rejected before the two clubs' ownership groups intervened to finalise the transfer at £51m plus £4m in add-ons. Had that deal collapsed, Arsenal were reportedly prepared to look at Tottenham's Cristian Romero or Micky van der Ven, though a sale between the rivals was considered unlikely.
In attack, Christos Tzolis has emerged as one of the summer's pleasant surprises following his £35m move from Club Brugge. The deal is said to have originated from an intermediary close to Arsenal's coaching staff, with Berta's assistant Maurizio Micheli having watched the Greek forward in person before sanctioning the move. Arsenal also converted Piero Hincapie's loan into a permanent deal and brought in goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free transfer.
However, the club's pursuit of a marquee attacking addition ended largely in disappointment. Morgan Rogers was long considered the priority target, with Arsenal valuing him at £80m against Aston Villa's initial £100m asking price. Villa's valuation rose to £120m after Nottingham Forest sold Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for £116m, and Chelsea ultimately signed Rogers for £117m. Arsenal were reportedly given a chance to match Chelsea's bid but declined, sticking to their original valuation.
Arsenal also held genuine hope of prising Vinicius Jr away from Real Madrid, with both Arteta and Berta prepared to finance what would likely have been a British record fee. Sources indicated concerns that Real Madrid's forward may have used Arsenal's interest as leverage to secure a new contract at the Bernabeu - which is exactly what transpired.
A similar story unfolded with Julian Alvarez, whose preference to join Barcelona was widely known. Atletico Madrid's refusal to sell to their La Liga rivals kept Arsenal's interest alive until late in the window, but the Argentine ultimately stayed in Madrid despite a strained relationship with his club. Arsenal have also long admired Chelsea's Joao Pedro, though he was not made available for transfer this summer.
On the sales side, Arsenal generated around £114m through departures including Gabriel Martinelli (£60m to Al-Hilal, a club-record sale), Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, Christian Norgaard, Jakub Kiwior, Fabio Vieira and Karl Hein. A reported £80m enquiry for Myles Lewis-Skelly from Manchester United was rebuffed, while academy talent Ethan Nwaneri was sent on loan to Borussia Dortmund rather than sold permanently.
Having now spent close to £450m over 12 months, Arsenal have strengthened key positions but leave the window with unresolved questions about their attacking depth and a squad that continues to age following the arrivals of Guimaraes and Konsa, both of whom will turn 30 before next season concludes.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.