His summer additions are expected to provide the edge needed to topple Manchester City, with their win last weekend proving that the likes of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and David Raya are already making their mark and offering the step-up needed.
However, to fund such a summer of free-spending, there unsurprisingly had to be a few casualties.
It always felt like Edu and his Spanish manager were building towards a window of such magnitude, having seen big-earners like Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette all banished for the betterment of the team.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
After all, shattering the club's previous record transfer by bringing in the former West Ham United captain marked a monster transfer, and one which needed some alternative deals to offset the £105m expended.
Unfortunately, there are no better sales to be made than from the academy, marking pure profit as they go down on the books as created for free. As such, the widespread interest in Folarin Balogun proved too good to be true, and having arrived at the perfect time to cash in.
Why did Arsenal sell Folarin Balogun?
Whilst the desperation for funds likely played a big role in sanctioning the of their promising 22-year-old marksman, given the £35m they would eventually recoup marked a huge fee for someone who had only made ten senior appearances for the Gunners, there were naturally other factors that fed into the deal.
Having enjoyed a blistering loan spell with Stade Reims, where he scored 21 goals across 37 Ligue 1 showings, the young American had truly put himself on the map.
His manager during that period, Will Still, would unsurprisingly rush to praise the man who was spearheading his unlikely push for Europe: "He’s unbelievable, he has real talent but he is also just a top person. He’s trying to learn the language – we have a bit of banter because his French is terrible (but) I think he realises: being good here will allow him to get the spotlight and attention he needs."supporting such a notion: "Arsenal need a backup for Jesus, someone young who can push him to score more goals.
"Eddie Nketiah has scored some big and important goals for Arsenal, but he's not as good as Gabriel Jesus. Nketiah has proved he can be a difference-maker, but I don’t know if he's a player who can take Arsenal to the title. That's why I think Mikel Arteta should bring a top backup striker to compete with Jesus."
Unfortunately, they already had one in Balogun, who has managed to post three goals and one assist in five Ligue 1 games, boasting a conversion rate of 23%.
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