Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs has heaped praise on Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla for the way they adapted to their first season in the Premier League.

The trio joined the club last summer from FC Koln, Montpellier HSC and Malaga respectively and received many plaudits for their performances.

All three players finished the campaign with their goal tallies in double figures, and Gibbs believes that they deserve credit for their first season in England.

"We were a new-look side for the season, with new signings that had to come in and step up," Gibbs told the Official Arsenal Magazine.

"It is never easy to come straight into the Premier League and perform as some of our players have.

"In the end, there was a combination of realising what we wanted from the season and of the players getting to know each other more. As time went on, we started to gel as a team."

Arsenal have been linked with Gonzalo Higuain, Marouane Fellaini, Wayne Rooney and Cesc Fabregas this summer.