Ben White joined Arsenal from Brighton in a deal worth £50m in the summer of 2021, but what happened to the other six players who signed for the Gunners that summer?
It's no exaggeration to say that Mr White has enjoyed success since relocating to north London. He has already made over 100 appearances for the club and has recently become one of the first names on the team sheet.
He recently signed a new contract extension with Arsenal, which will keep him at the club until 2028 with an option for a one-year extension.
“It's great news that Ben has committed his future to the club. Ben is an important player for us, a top professional with a winning mentality and one of our players who leads by example every day.” said Arteta about White's new contract.
We went back to the summer of 2021 and assessed the other six signings Arsenal made to see where they stood.
aaron ramsdale
The England international quickly overtook Bernd Leno to become Arteta's first choice and quickly made a name for himself in north London.
Arsenal made Ramsdale a good deal after signing him for an initial fee of £24 million. He had a productive two years as the starting shot-stopper, appearing in 89 games during that time.
However, after the arrival of David Raya, he was not having the best of times. He has been given chances from time to time, but his confidence seems to have taken a big hit in recent months.
He has only appeared in six league games this season, leaving his long-term future at the club up in the air.
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Takehiro Tomiyasu
The Japanese full-back has been a solid performer for Arsenal, but hasn't had much luck with injuries. Since he arrived from Bologna, he has missed more than 40 games with various injuries.
Given his injury-prone nature, the 25-year-old is considered more of a squad player these days. White maintains his starting position at right-back, while Tomiyasu is firmly down the England squad.
Nuno Tavares
The Portuguese full-back was tipped to have an exciting future when Arsenal acquired him in 2021, but Tavares endured a difficult debut season with the Gunners.
When Oleksandr Zinchenko arrived the following summer, Tavares quickly fell down the pecking order and spent the last few years on loan.
The 24-year-old showed signs of improvement at Marseille last season, but the 2023-24 campaign has been a frustrating one. He is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest, but has missed the majority of the season due to injury.
Forest have the option of signing Taveres for £12m, but it seems unlikely they will take up this option.
Albert Sambi Lokonga
Arsenal reportedly paid a transfer fee of £17.2 million for the Belgian midfielder in the summer of 2021. He was once highly regarded as a promising prospect at Anderlecht, but Gunners fans are yet to see the best of the 24-year-old.
He spent half of last season on loan and seems unlikely to return to the Arsenal squad.
To be fair, Lokonga has performed quite well in the games he has played for Luton this season, but it seems very likely that he will leave Arsenal in the summer.
Martin Odegaard
Arguably the best signing Arsenal have made in the summer of 2021. At £30 million, he was the second most expensive signing of the summer, but he is worth every penny.
In 141 appearances for Arsenal, the attacking midfielder scored 33 goals and provided 23 assists. He also wears the captain's armband and is one of the main players in the locker room.
All things considered, he got a great deal.
Read: Martin Odegaard: Reconsidering the four options Arsenal pursued in 2021
Mika Vieres
Perhaps one of the most memorable names to emerge that summer. Vieles is under consideration for Arsenal, but he is yet to make an appearance for the club's first team.
The Danish forward has spent the past three years on loan and currently plays for Sturm Graz in Austria. At 21 years old, it seems unlikely that he will break into Arsenal's squad.
Read more: Arsenal's 10-goal teenage sensation breaks through barriers and continues to drive towards Mikel Arteta's vision
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