Arsenal’s capture of Calum Chambers, the Southampton defender, pushed their summer spending to almost £60 million yesterday. It is the most the club has ever spent in a single transfer window as Arsène Wenger, the manager, continues to make good on his promise that he now has the funds available to keep pace with the Barclays Premier League’s super-heavyweights.

The FA Cup winners have paid £12 million for the 19-year-old full back, but that fee could rise as high as £16 million if various performance and appearance-related clauses are met. Wenger had already lavished £43 million on Alexis Sánchez, Mathieu Debuchy and David Ospina, meaning that he has spent more than the £48 million outlay made in the summer of 2011.

The Frenchman could yet