Arsenal transfer round up: Huge Chelsea coup, fans' favourite exits, late striker deal off

Arsene Wenger signed just one player in teh summer transfer window

ARSENAL making just one signing in the transfer window strikes an all-too-familiar chord.

 

Once again fans have been left frustrated by a lack of summer transfer business, with Petr Cech the only new face to arrive at the Emirates.

However, signing Cech from rivals Chelsea might just be the best signing that any Premier League club has made.

At £10million the 34-year-old is a snip and is arguably still firmly in his prime.

 

But questions are being asked elsewhere.

A new striker appeared to be on the agenda but an ambitious approach for Real Madrid's Karim Benzema was never likely to happen.

And when talk of a late move for Edinson Cavani turned into rumours of a deadline-day swoop for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, it became quickly apparent that speculation about any late arrivals was almost certainly wide of the mark.

Elsewhere, numerous faces left the club, with Lukas Podolski's exit to Turkey the most high-profile.

 

Best deal: Petr Cech, £10m

Cech takess the honour for this one with absolutely no competition to speak of. That's not to say signing the experienced stopper is not a shrewd piece of business.

Arsenal were desperate for a new goalkeeper and they could hardly have signed a beer one.

Biggest gamble: Selling Lukas Podolski to Galatsaray, £1.8m

The failure to land a new striker might make this deal seem a bit strange. Podolski has always been a favourite among fans but fell down the pecking order at the Emirates and spent the second half of last season on loan at Inter Milan.

Still, £1.8m for a World Cup winner might suggest they let him go cheaply and Arsenal are hardly flush with options up front.

What they missed out on:

A striker, defensive midfielder and a centre-back. Same old story.

Ins

Petr Cech - Chelsea - Undisclosed

Outs

Ryo Miyaichi - St Pauli - Undisclosed

Abou Diaby - Marseille - Free

Semi Ajayi - Cardiff - Free

Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill - Swindon - Free

Ainsley Maitland-Niles - Ipswich - Loan

Lukas Podolski - Galatasaray - £1.8m

 

Carl Jenkinson - West Ham - Loan

Yaya Sanogo - Ajax - Loan

Wojciech Szczesny - Roma - Loan

Daniel Crowley - Barnsley - Loan

Isaac Hayden - Hull - Loan

Jon Toral - Birmingham - Loan

Chuba Akpom - Hull - Loan

Serge Gnabry - West Brom - Loan

Renny Smith - Burnley - Free

Emiliano Martinez - Wolves - Loan

Wellington Silva - Bolton - Loan

Gedion Zelalem - Rangers - Loan