Rice best, Havertz worst: Ranking Arsenal’s summer signings so far

Suraj Radia

Updated: 11 Oct 2023 20:33 BST
5 min read

Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber of Arsenal — © ProShots

Arsenal spent big in the summer after falling at the final hurdle in their push for the Premier League title last season, with Mikel Arteta desperate to make amends and go one step further this year.

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The Gunners were only outspent by Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City as Arteta brought in four players to add quality and depth to Arsenal’s young squad.

The transfers appear to be paying off so far, with Arsenal sitting unbeaten and joint-top after eight games, although there is still plenty of football to be played.

With an outlay of more than £200 million, FootballTransfers takes a look at Arsenal’s summer signings, with a rank given for their performances and effect on the team at this early stage.

Declan Rice: A

© ProShots - Declan Rice has been a revelation for Arsenal

Arsenal made Declan Rice the most expensive English player of all time when they signed the West Ham captain for £105m including add-ons this summer.

Arteta identified Rice as his top target in midfield and convinced the 24-year-old to move to the Emirates over joining Manchester City, with the vision that he would instantly become an integral piece to their team.

And Rice’s decision to move to the Gunners has been vindicated so far, having started all of Arsenal’s league games so far and netting once to give his side the joint-best defensive record at this stage.

Rice has proven a substantial upgrade to Thomas Partey in midfield, particularly with the Ghanaian’s injury issues this season, and it is testament to his performances so far that the England international could be considered a bargain despite the record transfer as he continues to establish himself as a fan favourite for Arsenal.

XI: The Premier League team of the season so far

David Raya: C-

© ProShots - David Raya (left) and Aaron Ramsdale are battling it out for Arsenal's number one shirt

Eyebrows were raised when Arteta chose to bring in Brentford’s David Raya in August, effectively putting the pressure on Aaron Ramsdale who was still highly-regarded at the Emirates despite some mistakes towards the end of last season.

Raya came in on loan for £3m but Arsenal have an option to make the move permanent for £27m – a transfer which is believed to be all but confirmed, with reports that it would become an obligation if the Spaniard played a small number of games during the season.

The idea was to provide competition for Ramsdale but the England international played just three games after Raya’s arrival before losing his spot to the loanee, with Arteta preferring a keeper with more ability on the ball.

And while Raya has proven competent with his feet, he has also frustrated fans with his dwelling on the ball, which led to some boos in recent games as well as some mistakes which put his defence under pressure.

Raya has yet to consistently show that he is an upgrade on Ramsdale and the uncertainty has arguably caused more headaches for Arsenal than it has solved, with neither keeper feeling confident that they are Arteta’s number one so far.

Kai Havertz: E

© ProShots - Kai Havertz has endured a difficult start to life at Arsenal

Another intriguing move by Arteta was the decision to spend £65m on Kai Havertz this summer, with the German never proving a consistent player during his time at Chelsea despite obviously being talented, having scored the winner in the 2021 Champions League final.

Havertz was seen as a replacement for Granit Xhaka in the number eight role after the Swiss midfielder moved to Bayer Leverkusen and there was hope that Arteta could perhaps get the best out of the 24-year-old, while also gaining some versatility from him.

But Havertz has failed to impress this season, only getting his first goal from the spot in his seventh appearance before finally getting his maiden assist against Manchester City in the following league game.

While there is hope that his recent turnaround will reflect a long-term change, Havertz has continued with the same displays that led to frustration during his three years at Chelsea and the baffling decision to spend such a large sum on a flawed player may come back to haunt Arteta unless things improve.

Jurrien Timber – N/A

Jurrien Timber was set to be an ideal alternative to Ben White as a hybrid right-back and centre-back but the Dutchman picked up a long-term injury just 50 minutes into his debut.

As a result, it would be unfair to grade the 22-year-old until he has fully recovered and regained fitness, despite being a player with high hopes and potential to succeed for Arsenal.