Glasgow Rangers have endured their busiest transfer window in recent memory as Michael Beale aimed to trim the squad and add some much-needed freshness ahead of the 2023/24 season.
With nine new arrivals, it remains to be seen whether they can spur the Light Blues on to success and the 43-year-old has certainly spent a large chunk of money.
Danilo cost £6m while Sam Lammers arrived for £3m and given what is at stake this term, they need to start scoring goals and living up to their fees sooner rather than later.
If not, they will go down as flops and their value will decrease, indicating that the club might end up making a significant loss on the players in the future.
Rangers have endured various transfer howlers over the previous 25 years under a succession of managers, but it was Alex McLeish who let one of the club's finest players in recent memory go for a fee way below what was shelled out to bring him to Ibrox; Mikel Arteta.
How much did Rangers sign Mikel Arteta for?
After taking over the Light Blues in December 2001, the former Aberdeen defender revitalised the club and secured a domestic cup double during his first six months in charge.
Heading into the 2002/03 season, he was charged with delivering a first league title in three years and there were a couple of new arrivals that summer.
Kevin Muscat joined on a free transfer after leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers, but it was Spaniard Arteta who was the biggest signing, joining from Barcelona for a fee in the region of £6m.
McLeish was full of praise for the youngster, saying: "Mikel is an excellent young player, and I'm sure he is someone who will really excite the Rangers fans.
"I think the fans will see a class act when he pulls on a Rangers jersey next season. He is very comfortable on the ball and he has an excellent touch – and the great thing is his best years are still ahead of him."
By the end of his first season, Arteta ended up repaying that £6m fee and more in one of the most dramatic conclusions to a Scottish league campaign in history.
What happened to Mikel Arteta at Rangers?
The starlet formed a wonderful partnership alongside Barry Ferguson in the heart of the Gers midfield as he went on to make 27 league appearances during the season, scoring twice.
His maturity allowed Ferguson to rampage forward on a regular basis as he provided an unlikely goal threat from the middle of the pitch and coming into the last day of the campaign, the title would be decided on goal difference.
With just minutes to go against Dunfermline Athletic, Arteta slotted away a penalty like it was the least important thing in the world and secured their 50th league crown. From that moment his future at the club looked bright indeed.
The former Barcelona gem stayed just one more season at Ibrox, finishing the 2003/04 trophyless, and he eventually joined Real Sociedad for just £2.6m, which represented a 79% decrease on the initial £6m they spent on him just two years prior.
Where is Mikel Arteta now?
His stint in La Liga didn’t work out, and he joined Everton in January 2005 and the 5 foot 9 midfielder would remain in the Premier League until his retirement 11 years later.
After six and a half seasons on Merseyside, Arteta joined Arsenal, and he ended up becoming the club captain under Arsene Wenger ahead of the 2014/15 campaign, just months after helping the side win the FA Cup.
His approach to the game clearly impressed Wenger, who stated back in 2015 that he hoped the player would go on to become a manager.
He said: “Just through his behaviour, his focus on getting everything right in the team, he has a huge influence. He has great experience and is respected throughout the squad.
“I really hope Mikel considers going into coaching. When you manage, you want to see your players continue and see them give their experience and knowledge back.
“You want them to give their expertise of the way we want to play football and the way we want to behave. It would be great if someone like Mikel went into management, so somewhere the spirit of our game can survive through the players who have played for us.
“He has the quality to be a manager in the future I’m sure, but at the moment he gives his focus on the job as a player and gives absolutely everything.”
Wenger’s prophecy came true as he took over at Arsenal in 2019 and has since won the FA Cup in 2020 while building a squad which surprised everyone last term as they came so close to winning the Premier League.
Manchester City caught them in the end, but Arteta is building something special at the Emirates as a progressive and modern coach, capable of tinkering away with his team's and inventing new positions for players who previously hadn't proved too versatile.
The Ibrox faithful will always keep the Spaniard close to their hearts, especially considering he scored the goal that secured a then world record 50th domestic crown and although his second season didn’t go to plan, his short-lived legacy lives on.
Losing him for just £2.6m was definitely a poor decision by McLeish, yet the need for money in order to reduce the spiralling debt more than likely played a part in his decision rather than any other reason.
His ambition certainly shone through during his time in Glasgow and the Emirates faithful are now beginning to see just how much of a winner Arteta really is as he bids to end a two-decade wait for a league title in north London. Perhaps he could seek to retrieve some magic from that title win in Glasgow all those years ago.