Arteta at crossroads to ensure Arsenal avoid repeating mistake with "joke" trio

While Arsenal's top priority this summer is signings ahead of a new demanding season, the club must ensure that past mistakes are not repeated again.

As Gunners boss Mikel Arteta continues his build at the Emirates, the club need to ensure they are being clever in the market this year, and are not just adding to the list of current squad players. In the past, signings have backfired.

Back in 2020, following the Spaniard's arrival in 2019, the Gunners spent £70million on new recruits. And it is safe to say it did not do the club any favours - if anything, it proved to be a mixed bag.

It even led to Jamie Carragher question the "nonsense" around the club at the time, following the "joke" signings of the likes of Cedric Soares, David Luiz and Willian. The trio were awarded bumper contracts at the club, with Willian in particular earning around £200,000 per week.

The Gunners had a bad start to the season that year and were left in 15th place in the Premier League with just four wins in 11 games. The Sky Sports' pundit defended Arteta, however, and pointed to the club's recruitment strategy.

"I think Mikel Arteta is a manager, for me, there might be talk about him being under pressure now but the situation he's in, I wouldn't even think about Mikel Arteta's position," Carragher told Sky Sports' Monday Night Football back in 2020. "I really like Mikel Arteta. There's a lot of nonsense around the club - bringing players, buying players.

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"I think some signings were a joke. In terms of bringing Willian in, [David] Luiz in, Cedric [Soares] in. Is Kia Joorabchian making signings at the club?

"Mikel Arteta has brought in Thomas Partey and Gabriel. They look like Arsenal's two best players at this moment, certainly early stages this season. They've had four managers and three CEOs since 2018. Just stick with Arteta. But there's going to be a lot of pain for Arsenal."

The boss spent £150m in signings last season, including the signings of Ben White, Martin Odegaard, Aaron Ramsdale, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Nuno Tavares - some of whom have had a successful time at the Emirates thus far. Odegaard is arguably the stand out performer last campaign - registering seven goals and five assists in 40 appearances in all competitions.

And so far this summer, the club has spent £8.8m in signings, with the incoming arrivals of goalkeeper Matt Turner and Marquinhos. But more deals are set to be completed as the Spaniard continues to prioritise the deals of Gabriel Jesus, Youri Tielemans and Christopher Nkunku. Reports suggest the club are willing to spend a whooping £100m on the RB Leipzig talisman.

Arteta is well aware of what needs to be done in the wake of their failure to secure a top-four finish last campaign, and therefore missing out on Champions League football. "Now we have to start to add the top-quality pieces that they are not necessarily at 18, 19 or 20-years-old," he said back in May.

"We will do what it takes to get better in every department. Not only the age group but in terms of the quality, in terms of leadership, in terms of the goal threat, in terms of the physicality of this team that we need to improve as well so there are a lot of areas." But Arteta must be certain their signings will reap rewards next season.