Arsenal getting deals for David Luiz and Kieran Tierney over the line will make them akin to the Harlem Globetrotters in 2019-20, says Perry Grove, with the Gunners having their best transfer window for "10 or 15 years".
Suggestions at the end of last season that a quiet summer lay in store for those at Emirates Stadium have been blown out of the water.
Talk of a £40 million ($48m) budget has been rubbished in style, with a club-record £72m ($87m) deal done for highly-rated forward Nicolas Pepe .
Arsenal have also acquired talented teenager Gabriel Martinelli , while taking Dani Ceballos on loan from Real Madrid and landing Willian Saliba with one eye on the future.
It could be that the deadline passes with Luiz and Tierney also in north London, with the Gunners closing in on two more agreements , and Groves believes the former will prove to be a shrewd addition despite concerns over the Brazilian’s flamboyant playing style.
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He told talkSPORT : “I’ve watched David Luiz many times when I’ve done co-commentary, and I’ve always said I love watching him play, but wouldn’t want him in my team, because he’s always got a mistake in him.
“But now he’s coming to the Gooners, I’m actually really excited because he’s better than any of the centre-halves we’ve got and he will bring massive personality to Arsenal.
“He’ll also bring leadership, he’ll take responsibility and he’s a winner. He’s won a title in every country he’s played in, in Portugal, England and France, he’s won the Champions League, Europa League and Confederations Cup.
“His concentration levels have got better and I think he’ll be a lot better if you put someone disciplined in front of him, like [N’golo] Kante and Jorginho at Chelsea.
“I agree he’s got mistakes in him, but Unai Emery wants his centre-backs to play out from the back and what David Luiz brings is an unbelievable passing range.
“He can ping 60 or 70 yard balls, so if you’ve got the pace of [Nicolas] Pepe, [Alexandre] Lacazette and [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang, he can pick them out.”
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Groves added, with the Gunners looking to hand Unai Emery a star-studded squad for the upcoming campaign: “If I read out an Arsenal team which could start the first game of the season: Leno; Bellerin, Luiz, Sokratis, Tierney; Ceballos, Xhaka, Torreira; Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
“That’s going to be like watching the Harlem Globetrotters!
“I can’t help but be excited. There was all that doom and gloom about Arsenal not having any money and how are we going to compete, but if all these transfers come off, that means Arsenal would have spent £138m – that’s not bad for a club that is supposed to be skint!
“As a fan, and I reckon the Arsenal supporters will be thinking this as well, this is the best transfer window they’ve had for a good 10 or 15 years
“It’s our most exciting transfer window by a long, long way.”