Arsenal Football Club are one of the most successful clubs in the British game, as the only English clubs with more trophies are Manchester United and Liverpool. Despite their successful history, Arsenal has not always got it right in the transfer market. Here are the Gunners’ ten most expensive signings:
Nicolas Pepe (Bought from Lille for £72m)
The Ivory Coast international joined the club from north London in the summer of 2019 from French club Lille for a club record fee of £72m. The winger arrived on the back of a blistering previous campaign for LOSC, where he had scored 22 goals and produced 11 assists.
No doubt, Pepe was hot property that summer. Unfortunately for both parties, the move hasn’t worked out. His debut season saw him score five goals and produce six assists, but he only made 22 starts in the English top flight. His most fruitful campaign at Arsenal in terms of goals was in season 2020/21, when he scored ten goals in the Premier League.
The writing was on the wall for his Arsenal career when he started just five league games in season 2021/22, scoring just once and producing two assists. Pepe joined Nice on a season-long loan deal in the summer of 2022. It remains to be seen if he is ever seen in an Arsenal shirt again.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Bought from Dortmund for £57.38m)
The Gabon international joined the Gunners in the January transfer window of 2018 after a highly prolific four-and-half-year spell at German giants Dortmund. Aubameyang continued his prolific scoring form in north London, as he scored 92 goals in 163 games for the Gunners. The forward also produced 21 assists during his Arsenal career.
However, Aubameyang fell out of favour with head coach Mikel Arteta in season 2021/22. He joined Catalan giants Barcelona on a free transfer in the January transfer window of 2022.
Ben White (Bought from Brighton for £52.65m)
After producing some dazzling performances for Brighton in the English top-flight, the highly-rated ball-playing centre-back arrived at Arsenal in the summer of 2021. White has since established himself as a vital defensive player in Mikel Arteta’s team.
Alexandre Lacazette (Bought from Lyon for £47.7m)
The French forward had enjoyed a highly prolific career at French club Lyon before making the big money move to north London in 2017. Lacazette continued to score goals at a decent rate at Arsenal but was not quite as prolific as he was for OL.
Lacazette scored a respectable 71 goals in 206 appearances for the Gunners while also producing 36 assists in his Gunners. The forward enjoyed the most prolific season of his Premier League career in his debut campaign in season 2017/18, when he scored 14 goals.
In the summer of 2022, Lacazette was out of contract with the Gunners and headed home to Lyon as a free agent.
Gabriel Jesus (Bought from Manchester City for £46.98m)
The Brazilian forward had enjoyed a superb trophy-laden career with Manchester City before making a move to Arsenal in the summer of 2022. Jesus reportedly wanted the move in order to make more regular starts in the Premier League.
The forward made a bright start to his Arsenal career, and the deal looks to have been a shrewd one on the part of the Gunners.
Thomas Partey (Bought from Atletico Madrid for £45m)
The tough-tackling defensive midfielder arrived in north London in the summer of 2020 from Atletico Madrid. He had shown his quality for Diego Simeone’s team, and some were surprised when Atletico allowed the midfielder to leave.
Partey was just the sort of central midfielder Arsenal needed. He has since gone on to become a key player in the centre of the park for the Gunners.
Mesut Ozil (Bought from Real Madrid for £42.3m)
Ozil joined Arsenal in the summer of 2013 from Real Madrid and became the club’s record signing. His signing was something of a coup for the Gunners, as the German international had earned himself the moniker ‘The European assist king’ in the Spanish capital due to the number of assists he produced in his time in La Liga.
Ozil was supremely technically gifted and often shined in an Arsenal shirt. In his 254 appearances for the Gunners, the playmaker scored 44 goals and produced 78 assists. He produced just two more assists for Real Madrid, although he had played almost a hundred games fewer for the Spanish giants.
Ozil’s Arsenal career drifted toward the end, and in his final season with the club, season 2019/20, he scored just once and produced one assist in 18 Premier League appearances.
The undoubtedly talented star moved to Fenerbahce on free in the summer of 2021, with many Arsenal fans wondering what could have been in different circumstances.
Grant Xhaka (Bought from Monchengladbach for £40.5m)
The Swiss international earned rave reviews in the Bundesliga for Monchengladbach for his tough-tackling midfield displays before his move to Arsenal in the summer of 2016. Xhaka has arguably since become a divisive figure amongst Arsenal fans.
Xhaka is talented and can produce some superb displays. However, throughout his Gunners career, he has had a tendency to be hot-headed and has picked up five red cards during his time in north London. In season 2022/23, Xhaka is a vital player for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta attempts to return his team to the top of the English tree.
Alexis Sanchez (Bought from Barcelona for £38.25m)
Sanchez joined Arsenal in the summer of 2015 from Barcelona for a fee of £38.25m. The Chilean star shined bright at times during his Arsenal career, scoring 80 goals and producing 45 assists in 166 appearances for the club from north London.
The zenith of Sanchez’s career at Arsenal came in season 2016/17 when he scored 24 goals and produced ten assists in the Premier League. His form dipped in the next campaign, leading to Arsenal selling the forward to Manchester United in the transfer window of 2018 for a £30m.
Shkodran Mustafi (Bought from Valencia for £36.9m)
Arsenal bought Mustafi from Valencia in the summer of 2016. The German centre-back had impressed in the heart of Los Ches’ defence. Mustafi showed signs of becoming a top centre-back but was also prone to making errors and producing unconvincing displays.
After four-and-half unconvincing seasons with the Gunners, Mustafi was allowed to join Schalke on a free transfer in the January transfer window in 2021.