At the start of the summer Arsenal's wage bill was in a state of disrepair, overloaded with generously paid players whose contributions did not match their salaries. In a matter of weeks head of football Raul Sanllehi has managed to clean house.

A remarkably impressive transfer window in terms of both buying and selling finally closed on Monday with one of the most impressive bits of business Arsenal have conducted throughout the summer, convincing Roma not only to take the struggling Henrikh Mkhitaryan on loan but to pay his wages in full.

It is an impressive coup that shows the chasm in capabilities between Sanllehi and his predecessor.

Ivan Gazidis' panicked response to Alexis Sanchez's departure bequeathed his successors a ballooning wage budget at the very time when they could least afford it.

As Josh Kroenke told football.london on the club's summer tour: "It’s no secret that we have a Champions League wage bill on a Europa League budget right now.

"That's a fact. And one that we’re figuring out how to face internally at the moment."

Arsenal remain one of world football's best-paying clubs but that was always going to be the case. However in a matter of weeks Sanllehi and chief negotiator Huss Fahmy, who has earned a reputation as a steely deal-maker who can infuriate some agents but gets the job done, have got the wage budget under control, saving an estimated £45million per annum.

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That is money that can go not just into new signings but rewarding the progress of the club's most important players. Talks are underway over extensions for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette; Matteo Guendouzi and Joe Willock are expected to follow before the end of the year.

It is in players like the latter duo that Arsenal want to be investing their funds, not the ageing, underproductive options that were among those to depart in the summer. Among those to depart this summer have been Petr Cech, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Danny Welbeck, Laurent Koscielny, Carl Jenkinson, Nacho Monreal, Mohamed Elneny and Mkhitaryan, the latter two on a temporary basis.

In each case their best days are likely behind them and many were being paid like key contributors even when Unai Emery was using them sparingly.

Trimming back this squad was no simple task. The sense around the club was that whilst there would be aggressive attempts to trim back the budget it may not be until the summer of 2021, when deals for Mesut Ozil and Mkhitaryan come off the books, that real change could happen.

It has also come with sacrifices. Arsenal did not want to lose Alex Iwobi but felt that up to £40million was too much to say no to, particularly at a time when interest in Mkhitaryan was not widespread. Knowing what Arsenal know now it is intriguing to speculate on whether or not Sanllehi and Emery would have been so happy to do the deal if they knew the Armenian was leaving.

Clearing back the wage bill has seen Sanllehi fulfill Kroenke's demand that he be aggressive and the deal for Mkhitaryan typifies this new-found shrewdness in the market.

In an era when loan fees are rising to eight figure sums the Gunners accepted a relatively small fee that could reach up to £2.8million and did not agree any option or obligation with Roma for them to purchase Mkhitaryan. But the priority was the £200,000-a-week wage packet and convincing the Giaolorossi to pay that in its entirety is a major coup indeed, one that saves Arsenal just under £10million.

Of course the grand total of £45million has not all gone into Arsenal's back pocket. A significant proportion has been invested in the wages of new players, particularly club record signing Nicolas Pepe, David Luiz and Dani Ceballos.

With the exception of Luiz these are prospects - the average age of the signings made this summer is just short of 23. For those who departed the figure is 30. Arsenal have got younger, cheaper and, most would argue, better.

It is shrewd business indeed but Sanllehi's work, which will increasingly become technical director Edu's as well, is far from done. Mkhitaryan's contract will be back on the books at the end of the season, when the club will look to sell him on a permanent basis.

Attempts to sell Shkodran Mustafi failed, although there were expressions of interest no formal offer came in for the German and there was no indication from the player's side that he was prepared to push through a move.

Then there is Ozil, whose £350,000-a-week contract is a millstone around Arsenal. They would have liked to move him on this summer though after actively touting his services without any luck in January there was an acceptance around the club that buyers were few and far between for the 30-year-old.

That might change next summer, when Ozil will have to consider what long-term commitment, if any, Arsenal will offer him and whether he might be better placed ending his career elsewhere. His representatives have already spoken with DC United about opening a coffee store at their stadium but it is widely known that those conversations involved more than just beverages.

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Whatever happens with Ozil, Mustafi and Mkhitaryan the pressure has at least been eased significantly by this wide-ranging, aggressive trimming of the squad by Sanllehi and now avenues are opened up for Arsenal to be even more creative, whether in rewarding their best players or making moves to further strengthen Emery's squad in January.

It may not be the perfectly balanced wage bill just yet but Arsenal have room to breath on a financial front.