Vermaelen: Arsenal will do better this season after the busy summer

Former Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen expects the side to "do better than last year" after a busy summer in the transfer market.

Unai Emery's first season at the Emirates saw the club finish fifth in the Premier League, 28 points behind champions Manchester City.

This summer, 25 players have either left Arsenal on loan or permanently, while the club also broke their transfer record to sign £72m Nicolas Pepe from Lille.

However, Vermaelen, currently on international duty with Belgium ahead of the European Qualifier double-header with San Marino and Scotland, believes he has seen enough to be encouraged.

"Arsenal have improved with the players they got in the summer. I think they did a good job in the transfer market," Vermaelen, who currently plays for Japanese side Vissel Kobe, said.

"It's a new Arsenal but it doesn't mean it is going to be worse than last season or difficult now.

"Of course a few players have to adapt but I think there is a good manager there (Unai Emery) who wants to play football. I expect them to do better than last year."