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Arsenal broke the bank last summer by smashing their record transfer fee and snatching up Nicholas Pepe, but along the way, they also made some good value signings.
Pepe, the £72 million arrival from Lille, alone constituted half of Arsenal's total spending during the 2019-20 summer transfer window.
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As Arsenal endured their worst Premier League finish since 1994-95, let us have a look at how their various summer arrivals fared during the season. Players have been ranked based on their performances as well as their potential impact in the future.
Note: Only players who featured for the club during the season have been considered.
How Arsenal's summer arrivals fared during the 2019-20 season:
#5: David Luiz
Based on his impact during the season and his future at the club, David Luiz failed miserably on both counts.
To be fair to him, though, he has not been the worst defender in the Premier League season; he has come up with some clutch performances, but there have been far too many errors.
Arriving from Chelsea on a £7.8 million transfer, it looked like a shrewd signing from the Arsenal board at the time but things have not been smooth sailing for the Brazilian at the Emirates Stadium.
It is not acceptable for an international, experienced defender ,who has played in one of the best teams in Europe for years, to concede as many as five penalties in the league. Before Mikel Arteta arrived, Luiz's performances were not good enough but since then they have been better.
On his day, Luiz is a capable centre-back, and his distribution and leadership on and off the pitch is something which Arsenal fans can hold on to.
Extending his current deal was heavily criticised by Arsenal fans, but in my opinion, it was the right decision. With the arrival of William Saliba next season, Luiz's experience could help the young Frenchman.
#4. Nicholas Pepe
Nicholas Pepe walked through the doors of London Colney with high expectations. He had arrived at Arsenal on the back of a fruitful season at Lille where he scored 22 goals.
Despite his 17 goal contributions during his maiden season at Arsenal, more was expected from Pepe. Nevertheless, he came up with some great moments during his first season.
Pepe was the first player in more than a year to complete a successful dribble past Virgil Van Dijk. Besides, who can forget his two free kicks in the group stages of the Europa League, his goal against Manchester United and his deliveries from set-pieces.
Arsenal fans desire a lot more from Pepe but it is clear than the young Ivorian was still finding his feet for most of the season. He played under three different Arsenal managers this season, with each one having different footballing philosophies.
It remains to be seen if Pepe continues to evolve under Arteta next season and produce the kind of performances Arsenal fans yearn for.
#3: Gabriel Martinelli
An unknown commodity at the time of his arrival, Gabriel Martinelli made a rapid rise through the ranks at Arsenal.
Martinelli was plying his trade in the Brazilian fourth division. On the advice of Arsenal Football Director Edu Gaspar, the club signed him up for a reported £6 million. Based on his performances during the season, it can be said he has been worth every penny.
Martinelli is direct and pacy, and his cool finishing belies his young years. He says his idol is Cristiano Ronaldo, and it is clear to see why. He does resemble a young and raw Ronaldo at Manchester United. Martinelli, however, still has a long way to go to before he reaches Ronaldo's level, but he surely has the potential.
The Brazilian teenager has become a fan favourite at Arsenal because of his skills on the ball. He scored three goals in 14 Premier League appearances and linked up well with Saka on the left wing.
In Cup competitions, he was more prolific. Martinelli scored thrice and provided as many assists in seven Europa League games. In the Carabao Cup, he scored four goals in just two appearances, two of which were against Premier League winners Liverpool.
Before injuries brought about a premature end to his first season at Arsenal, Martinelli produced a very commendable return of ten goals and three assists.
The Brazilian is destined for great things if he continues his improvement next season.
#2: Dani Ceballos
Dani Ceballos arrived at Arsenal on loan from Real Madrid; after the season if the fans say they want their club to sign up Ceballos permanently, that is probably the highest compliment any on-loan player can receive.
For most of the season, Ceballos, a skillful and technical player, was one of Arsenal's best midfield players. His greatest assets are his ball progressiveness, composure and an eye for a pass.
At times deployed as a number ten but more often as a number eight, Ceballos filled the void of a skillful midfielder at Arsenal after the departure of Santi Cazorla.
The Spaniard did miss a few weeks due to injury, but has been truly impressive after his compatriot Arteta's arrival at the Arsenal helm.
The one thing that Ceballos probably lacks when compared to Cazorla is in goal involvements, but the younger Spaniard is more of a deep-lying playmaker. If Arsenal can sign him up or even get an additional season on loan, that would represent shrewd business for the London club.
#1: Kieran Tierney
It says a lot when a player who has missed many months is still the signing of the season, but Kieran Tierney has been that good for Arsenal.
As I said earlier, the rankings are based on a player's potential value to the club in the future and his impact this season; Tierney has ticked both boxes.
In what has been a very underwhelming season (they could still end the season on a high if they win the FA Cup), Arsenal finished outside the European places for the first time since 1995. But Tierney was one of Arsenal's shining lights during the season.
Although he was injured at the beginning of the season, he massively improved Arsenal's defence in the games that he played. Unfortunately, he suffered another injury and things were looking down for him and his career at Arsenal, but the COVID-19 break came at the right time for him.
Since the restart, Tierney has been one of Arsenal's best players. Whipping in balls from the left with his pinpoint crossing or coming up with last-ditch tackles, the boy can do anything.
Kieran Tierney has a key role to play in the next few seasons for Arsenal and certainly has a promising future at the club if they manage to keep hold of him.
