Arsenal's eight signings in the summer of 2025 all played their part in the club's Premier League title triumph but none of them are yet to truly live up to their billing in north London

It was the record transfer splurge that helped finally end 22 gruelling years of hurt. In sporting director Andrea Berta's first summer at the helm, Arsenal went big.

Their overall expenditure on new players amounted to £282million net, the highest in the Premier League. It was the most the club had ever spent in a single window.

Amongst the fanbase, Mikel Arteta was under pressure to deliver and deliver he did, securing the club's first top-flight title since 2004 when The Invicibles reigned supreme under the meticulous expertise of Arsene Wenger.

Arteta also fired Arsenal to the Champions League final, where they fell narrowly short on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest. That painful defeat left the Spaniard and his squad wanting more and now they're on the hunt for more silverware.

To achieve that, he is counted on every member of his stacked squad. In seasons gone by, injuries had crippled Arsenal in pivotal moments. William Saliba's back injury, for instance, had derailed the title charge in March 2023.

Now there is no further scope for excuses. Arsenal have, to an extent, finally realised their potential as champions and now boast arguably the best defence in all of world football.

Berta had a huge influence on their 2025 recruitment drive. Here's how...

Viktor Gyokeres

Arteta had initially been set on signing RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who is now with Manchester United, while the Italian had wanted Viktor Gyokeres. The Sweden international had plundered an astonishing 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting CP.

In the end, Berta's influence proved decisive. Not only did he win over Arteta but following an exhausting and drawn-out saga, he convinced Gyokeres to pick the Gunners over United, managed by his former head coach, Ruben Amorim.

While Gyokeres divided opinion during his debut campaign in north London, he finished up as the club's top goalscorer with 21 in all competitions. But around two months into his second season, he is yet to find the target and has only just received his first Premier League start of the campaign (in the 2-0 triumph over Everton).

Arteta simply loves Kai Havertz. The German got the nod in the Champions League final over Gyokeres and remains Arsenal's first-choice No.9. The club had waited a long time to sign a marquee, prolific goalscorer but externally, there are already doubts over Gyokeres' long-term future. The club pushed hard for Julian Alvarez in the summer and if that deal had been executed, they would likely have listened to offers for the Sweden international.

Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke

Other big deals for Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke were also brokered. Eze was a huge success in his debut season, not least because he stuck five goals past Tottenham - the club that were close to signing him before an eleventh-hour hijack. He chipped in with other important strikes against ex-club Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen and Newcastle but has struggled in his second season.

Arsenal stretched themselves to their financial limits to sign Eze after he personally called Arteta to see if a deal was possible. He's been much-improved in his past few matches having scored against Lille and Bayern Munich but when Christos Tzolis is back fit, Eze could well return to the bench. He was a plug-and-play signing that was identified as a potential game-changer. He still has so much more to give.

Meanwhile, Madueke arrived at the Emirates from bitter rivals Chelsea after accepting the role as Bukayo Saka's understudy. His versatility and ability to play on the left was also appreciated but he's continued to blow hot and cold despite scoring the winner in the recent 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest. Arteta values him dearly but he's yet to live up to his £52m price-tag.

Martin Zubimendi

Then there's Martin Zubimendi. It was only this time last year that his manager and the wider media were waxing lyrical over his impact in England. He was not a Berta signing, the framework of that deal was done long before the Italian's arrival but Berta is thought to have helped it over the line. After playing such a key role last season (he made 57 appearances across all competitions), he burnt out spectacularly in May.

Since then, he's found minutes hard to come by and there's an argument he is now fourth in the midfield pecking order behind Declan Rice, Bruno Guimaraes and Myles Lewis-Skelly. Again, like Gyokeres and Eze, he did not start the Champions League final. Zubimendi was actually injured in the cool-down after the 2-1 win over Leeds (ankle) and then moments after coming on against Everton on Saturday, his nose was bloodied following a whack in the face. It typifies his rotten luck.

Cristhian Mosquera and Christian Norgaard

In terms of other 2025 incomings, Cristhian Mosquera remains highly-rated but he's not started since injuring his hamstring in the 1-0 win at Aston Villa. Ezri Konsa is thriving in his place in the absence of William Saliba. Back-up goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is an adequate No.2, but he did mess up in last season's Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City and for that reason, he is not fully trusted by supporters.

Christian Norgaard has already left the club for Everton while Piero Hincapie, an initial loan arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, has endured problems with his ankle (he also got injured in the warm-down against Leeds) and groin, though he is considered a key player.

All in all, the seven of Arsenal's eight 2025 summer signings are yet to live up to their billing. While their key contributions towards last season's Premier League title mean they will never truly be considered failures, the jury is still out on all of them when it comes to them being considered proper success stories.

Fans want improvement, Arteta undoubtedly does too and it's his job to squeeze more out of those individuals. Their fortunes could also dictate how Berta is viewed moving forward and whether he's trusted to continue spending big cash.