Arsenal's summer was a largely positive one, wrapping up the bulk of their incomings early on to give Mikel Arteta ample time to integrate them into his starting side.
Kai Havertz's arrival was poised to offer versatility in attack, whilst Jurrien Timber did the same across the backline. However, the star acquisition came in the form of Declan Rice, who shattered the Gunners' club-record fee by joining in a £105m move, with his importance to the side not to be understated.
The Athletic even wrote: "The West Ham United captain was everything to Mikel Arteta this summer. Those inside the club had repeated for months that it could not be overstated how central he was to the Arsenal manager’s vision.
"Without him, Arteta’s plan to take his team to the next level in the fourth year of his reign simply did not add up. Every other transfer target was inextricably linked to Rice as the centrepiece, the nucleus that would make everything else make sense."
Fighting off Manchester City's advances made the deal even sweeter, and it seemed they were now ready to truly topple the Premier League monopoly their rivals hold.
However, reports persisted that suggested Edu still wanted to offload some of the deadwood, with their pursuit of Mohammed Kudus hinging on those outgoings. In the end, not enough came, and the Ajax star instead opted to join the Hammers' revolution.
Meanwhile, a few key reminders of failed regimes of the past linger, with two duds standing out more than most, one of which is Nicolas Pepe.
Will Nicolas Pepe leave Arsenal?
One such name that somehow remains at the Emirates is Nicolas Pepe, who coincidentally is the man whose record fee Rice recently usurped.
The Ivory Coast international was signed back in 2019 for a mouth-watering £72m, with his big-money arrival expected to usher in a new era following the departure of legendary boss Arsene Wenger. However, it quickly became clear that his capture had in fact hindered Unai Emery, who has since admitted he craved someone else.
He told The Guardian: "We signed Pepe. He’s a good player but we didn’t know his character and he needs time, patience. I favoured someone who knew the league and wouldn’t need to adapt. Zaha won games on his own: Tottenham, Manchester City, us. Incredible performances. I told them: ‘This is the player I know and want.’
"I met Zaha and he wanted to come. The club decided Pepe was one for the future. I said: ‘Yes, but we need to win now and this lad wins games.’ He beat us on his own."
The 28-year-old has since featured just 112 times across his four years in north London, registering an admittedly admirable 27 goals and 21 assists, but far from enough to merit his price tag.
Pundit and former Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant even weighed in on the doomed deal back in July, noting: "There have been some awful Arsenal signings down the years but because of the amount, how much he’s played and the performances then you have to say Pepe is one of the worst signings. I remember we bought Igors Stepanovs, he was a terrible signing but he was free.
“If you’re paying £72m you want something back, and it’s been nil. Put those together and he’s probably been one of Arsenal’s worst-ever signings.”
Therefore, it will come as a delight to Arteta that he could still receive a late fee for the underwhelming wide man, with the Saudi Arabia transfer window still firmly open for business.
However, those reports are suggesting that a figure of just £2m will be recouped should this turn into a reality, marking a truly damning indictment on the club's recruitment policy of the time.
Whilst his exit will likely be championed, it seems increasingly likely that another underperforming dud will remain on their books for at least another few months, as Cedric Soares has clearly failed to secure his departure from the club too.
How good is Cedric Soares?
Although the Portuguese defender has been a well-liked figure around the Emirates during the early parts of his tenure there, it seems that as time has gone on he has just become more of a financial burden than anything.
2022/23 (Arsenal)
2
6.72
2021/22 (Arsenal
16
6.86
2020/21 (Arsenal)
8
6.41
2019/20 (Southampton & Arsenal)
19
6.82
2018/19 (Southampton)
16
6.67
All stats via Sofascore
Signed on a free transfer, he was handed a lucrative salary on favourable terms, as is often the way with these deals. As such, the three and a half years he has spent in north London has been rather expensive, especially considering how much he has actually offered.
Although the 32-year-old only has one year left on his £75k-per-week deal, he seems increasingly unlikely to add to his 59 appearances made given the ever-improving squad he inhabits, compared to his dwindling stature.
Once a proven Premier League stalwart, his signing offered brief cover in a problem position for the Gunners. They likely looked back on his displays during the 2015/16 season for justification of this deal, given he maintained a 7.07 average rating buoyed by 1.1 key passes, 2.2 interceptions and 2.9 tackles per game, via Sofascore.
However, those figures are truly well behind the former Southampton man, who most recently could only muster a 6.72 average rating, starting twice last campaign in the league.
It should come as no surprise to see him included in that aforementioned report outlining players whom Edu sought to offload, and therefore explain why Darren Bent touted his exit too when speaking to TalkSPORT:
"They need to bring in players in the right areas. They need good squad players. When Tomiyasu was out, Cedric came in – but he is not good enough. They need to bring players in that are good enough, even from the bench.”
With staff at the club and pundits clearly in agreement, this is certain to be Cedric's final year at Arsenal after an up-and-down period with the club. That is, unless, they can spring a bidder from the Saudi Arabian market, with their window still very much open for business.
Few can fault his effort levels and work rate, but in the end, the playing squad has severely outgrown him. Unfit to be anywhere near Arteta's starting lineup, it marks a shame that they haven't been able to recoup a fee for him this summer.