Mikel Arteta has been backed handsomely by the Arsenal hierarchy again this summer, but a last-gasp deal for an additional midfielder proved to be elusive.
The Gunners reportedly tabled three bids to try and persuade Aston Villa to part with Douglas Luiz, but the Midlands outfit were reluctant to cash in on the Brazilian enforcer - even though Luiz could now quit the club for nothing as a free agent next summer.
But even taking Arsenal's deadline day disappointment into account, the Londoners have enjoyed another impressive transfer window. The big-money captures of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko have already had a profound impact on Arteta's squad, who are currently top of the pile in the Premier League, with Fabio Vieira also waiting in the wings.
For the second consecutive summer, Arsenal have spent significant funds in a bid to re-establish themselves as genuine contenders in the Premier League.
But Arteta also harboured ambitions of striking a better balance in his squad, with the club intent on offloading a number of fringe players in the wake of numerous summer arrivals.
Speaking back in July, the Spaniard said: "We have a large squad, so we have to make some decisions as well on the players that we're not going to be using consistently and be fair and straight with them and that's a process that is going to start very soon as well. We have a big squad and now we have to make things happen."
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Club-record flop Nicolas Pepe was one of the obvious players that the Gunners were aiming to move on, but Hector Bellerin was another player who had no future at the Emirates Stadium.
The Spanish full-back was not set to feature under Arteta, but an exit was complicated by his desire to return to his homeland after impressing on loan at Real Betis last year. The La Liga outfit were unable to afford a permanent deal - leaving both Bellerin and Arsenal in limbo.
There were suggestions that Arsenal were unwilling to accommodate a reported request from Bellerin to leave the club for free in a bid to salvage his career away from north London.
But when Barcelona emerged as a potential destination in the final hours of deadline day, Arteta and Arsenal stayed true to their word and agreed to forego a transfer fee in order to allow Bellerin to move to the Nou Camp for the good of his career - underlying Arteta's desire to do right by his players; even if Arsenal, as a club, don't stand to benefit.
