Arteta admits Arsenal under pressure after transfer activity

Nicholas Hughes

• Updated: 20 Aug 2021 11:44 BST
• 5 min read

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that he and his team are under pressure after their summer transfer window spending.

The Gunners confirmed their fourth signing of the window on Friday, with Martin Odegaard joining for €35 million (£30m) from Real Madrid after his initial loan spell last season.

When asked about the club’s exploits in the transfer market, Arteta admitted that the heat is on to turn the money spent into results.

“It does (bring pressure). We will see what we will finish. We’re going to have, I think, seven players have left the club and five are coming in, so it’s not more players coming in,” he said ahead of Arsenal’s London derby against Chelsea.

“We’re going to do it in the right way so that we are stable.”

As Arteta said, the club are expecting five players to come in, with the final one being goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale from Sheffield United.

The Spaniard confirmed that the move was imminent but insisted that nothing was entirely confirmed as yet.

“We will see. There is still some paperwork getting done. He had his medical as well mostly done. There is still some things to sort with Sheffield,” he said.

“Aaron is a really talented young goalkeeper with huge experience. He’s going to bring competition which is what we want. Healthy competition, quality competition.”

Arsenal lead Premier League spending - now results must follow

Once that deal is confirmed, Arsenal will have the highest summer spending of all Premier League clubs, surpassing the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City who have all spent big.

Ramsdale will join Odegaard and Ben White, Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga as the club’s incomings so far.

The Odegaard deal has tipped the Gunner’s expenditure to over £100m, and Ramsdale’s signature will push it to almost £150m.

After a lacklustre opening day defeat to newly promoted Brentford, Arsenal face Chelsea and Manchester City in their next two games with the very real possibility of beginning the season with three defeats.