5 players Arteta wanted to sign for Arsenal in the summer and where they are now
In the immediate aftermath of Arsenal's title charge capitulating last season, Mikel Arteta was tipped to spend heavily in the summer to try and go one better this term.
The Gunners boss certainly hasn't been shy when the time comes to splash the cash during his reign in the Emirates hot seat and forked out on a number of mega-money deals in recent windows. Arsenal topped the table for the majority of the campaign last time around, but injuries curtailed their hopes of a first title since 2004.
Keen to ensure the same situation doesn't present itself at the business end of this season, Arteta was expected to make as many as five high-profile signings to bolster the Arsenal squad. Things didn't exactly play out as expected and in the end, he made just four.
Of the four that were brought to the Emirates, only one was on the shortlist of expected arrivals back in May of this year. Mirror Football has taken a look at the five players predicted to join Arsenal and where they are now.
Declan Rice
Declan Rice is already one of Arsenal's best players (Getty Images)The £105million man is the only one who DID make the switch to the Emirates. After one of the lengthier transfer sagas of the summer window, which included a rival bid from Manchester City, Arsenal eventually landed their man for what remains a record fee for a British player.
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Rice has taken to life in north London with ease and already established himself as one of the first names on Arteta's team sheet. Adding some much-needed grit to the Gunners midfield is a welcome bonus, but it is Rice's technical quality and in-game intelligence that have made him undroppable for Arsenal.
The England international has already sealed his place in the hearts of the Emirates faithful with a 94th-minute winner against Manchester United back in September. Rice has even been tipped by many to one day don the Arsenal armband.
Mason Mount
Mason Mount has had a frustrating start to life at Man Utd (Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty Images)A childhood friend of Rice's, Arsenal fans were dreaming of the pair reuniting in the red and white. However, it wasn't to be as although Mount left his boyhood club, Chelsea, he opted to join Manchester United instead.
The Red Devils parted ways with around £55m to land his signature once it became clear he had no interest in penning an extension at Stamford Bridge. The move hasn't yet worked out, with Mount having to overcome injury issues already at Old Trafford.
It has been a difficult start to the season for United as a collective, with Erik ten Hag's side losing eight games across all competitions by November. If Mount can help turn the tide, however, he'll be adored by United supporters everywhere.
Marc Guehi
Marc Guehi has impressed during a two-year spell with Crystal Palace and caught the eye of Arsenal as a result (Getty Images)Marc Guehi is the only player on this list who actually stayed at his club. The Crystal Palace and England ace has long been admired by Arsenal among other big six sides, but remains at Selhurst Park for the time being.
It was believed that Arsenal thought Guehi would be a worthy challenger for game time against the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. The former's injury rocked the Gunners' title hopes last term and the decline in quality when his back-up Rob Holding came in was undeniable.
However, Arteta was not willing to meet the kind of fee the Eagles were rumoured to be demanding and as a result, the deal failed to materialise. Don't bet against Arsenal reigniting their interest in the coming windows though.
Moussa Diaby
Moussa Diaby has started well at Aston Villa (Laurence Griffiths/Getty)Diaby was making headlines all across Europe after a sensational season with Bayer Leverkusen, with the French winger linked with just about every major club on the continent - including Arsenal.
Despite the fact that Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka are two of the club's most important and consistent performers, Arteta has long been keen on the idea of adding another wide-forward into the mix to ensure the club boast an incredible strength in terms of their attacking depth.
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However, to the surprise of many, Diaby opted to join Aston Villa for a fee of £36m. He has started the season brightly enough, bagging three goals as well as three assists in three Premier League games.
Moises Caicedo
Moises Caicedo joined Chelsea for £115m in August (Getty Images)For a long time, it seemed like Caicedo was actually Arsenal's preference if they were going to be made to choose between the Ecuadorian and Rice. However, they made their move for the latter first, which in turn meant the Gunners were cash-strapped by the time Caicedo was on the move.
The midfielder's transfer story was quite something, with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp openly telling the media that a fee had been agreed between the Reds and Brighton to secure Caicedo's services. However, Chelsea soon returned to the Seagulls with an improved offer and the rest is history. It has been a slow start to life in west London for Caicedo, but the early signs are promising for those of a Blues persuasion.
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