Arsenal Football Club

covered differently

Jurrien Timber is set to make his comeback after the international break, though it's not yet certain if he'll be involved against Manchester City.
Former footballer Anthony Stokes jailed after breaching court orders & harassing ex-girlfriend. Details of abuse & his disregard for legal consequences.
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Real Madrid's €100-120 million price tag on Rodrygo could see the Brazilian winger on his way out. Could the Gunners be the ones to snatch him up?
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Arsenal travel to Man City with a chance to exploit injuries to De Bruyne, Haaland, and Ederson. Will these key players be fit for the crucial clash?
Gabriel Magalhaes has withdrawn from the Brazil squad with an injury, with the national team confirming he has been replaced.
Arsenal's title challenge is over after a crushing 3-1 defeat to Chelsea. Fans ponder tactical choices, player form, and the road to salvaging the season.
The Arsenal u18s thrashed Crystal Palace 8-3 at the weekend, with star centre-forward Chido Obi-Martin scoring four goals.
Arsenal's Brian Okonkwo has completed a loan move to Isthmian Premier League side Cheshunt FC until the end of the season.
Reiss Nelson's lack of playing time at Arsenal has alerted Brighton. Will the Gunners sell their homegrown winger for a reported £25-30m? Read to find out!
4 Gunners stars make the Premier League's most valuable XI. See who made the list here
Can Arsenal hold onto their Premier League lead? Data suggests they face the toughest remaining fixtures. See Opta's analysis of the title race run-in for Arsenal, City & Liverpool.
Can Arsenal land Kenan Yildiz? Reports in Italy suggest a tough battle, with Juventus demanding a massive fee.
Arsenal risk losing William Saliba for the start of next season due to his potential involvement in the Olympics. Will Henry's France call-up disrupt Arsenal's plans?
Arsenal are eyeing Patrick Schulte as a potential replacement for goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, according to a report.
Reiss Nelson's lack of playing time at Arsenal has alerted Brighton. Will the Gunners sell their homegrown winger for a reported £25-30m? Read to find out!
Discover why Arsenal's rich history and Irish connections make it a beloved club in Ireland.
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Takehiro Tomiyasu's latest calf injury raises concerns. We examine his history, the challenges of calf problems, and the impact on Arsenal.
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Can Arsenal win without a star striker? Their recent goal surge sparks debate among fans, critics.
Leandro Trossard has now hit double figures for goals this season, and his combination with Kai Havertz makes him a candidate for starts even when Gabriel Jesus is back.
Football is set to introduce a new blue card, seeing players removed from the field for 10 minutes, with critics claiming the change 'adds subjectivity' to the game.
The Daily Mail's article on Mikel Arteta's touchline behaviour during the Arsenal match against Brighton presents a biased view, which deserves a closer examination for a more balanced understanding.
Recently, we've seen a number of people attempt to rewrite Unai Emery's time at Arsenal on the back of his success at Aston Villa, but Arsenal fans remember the truth.
Nuno Tavares' loan experiences with Olympique de Marseille and Nottingham Forest seem to be a blend of unfilled potential and problems behind the scenes.
Tottenham Hotspur's recent run of form has cast a new light on some of the media coverage of the club just a month ago, when they were seemingly champions-elect.
Eddie Nketiah delivers a stunning hat-trick for Arsenal against Sheffield United, showcasing his evolution as a striker under Mikel Arteta and with the influence of Gabriel Jesus.
Arsenal's win over Manchester City raises questions about Premier League refereeing inconsistencies that will fall from view because Arsenal won. They shouldn't.
Arsenal draw 2-2 with Tottenham in a North London Derby that leaves both teams pondering missed opportunities. The key focus is on Declan Rice's unexpected injury.

Arsenal Football Club’s most expensive defenders

Liverpool made Virgil van Dijk the most expensive defender in history in 2018, but how do Arsenal’s priciest defensive signings compare?

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 22: Jordan Henderson and Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool celebrate following the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield on July 22, 2020 in Liverpool, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Paul Ellis/Pool via Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – JULY 22: Jordan Henderson and Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool celebrate following the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield on July 22, 2020 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Paul Ellis/Pool via Getty Images)

Liverpool announced their £75m deal for van Dijk in December 2017 ahead of a January transfer move. I think we can all say it was money well spent when you consider that he’s still only 29 and they’ve already won the Champions League and the Premier League with him in their back line.

He was also named UEFA’s Best Player in Europe, 2019.

Arsenal have never spent that much on a single player, no matter what position, and, until Nicolas Pepe was purchased in 2019 for an inflated £72m, the most they had paid for a player was the £57.4m they gave Borussia Dortmund for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang‘s services.

Spending big at the back just isn’t something Arsenal have done and it has cost them.

So how much have Arsenal spent on their most expensive defenders?

The transfer fees listed are courtesy of transfermarkt.co.uk.

Laurent Koscielny – £11.3m

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - MAY 29: Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal looks dejected as he walks past the Europa League Trophy whilst coduring the UEFA Europa League Final between Chelsea and Arsenal at Baku Olimpiya Stadionu on May 29, 2019 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – MAY 29: Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal looks dejected as he walks past the Europa League Trophy whilst coduring the UEFA Europa League Final between Chelsea and Arsenal at Baku Olimpiya Stadionu on May 29, 2019 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Arsenal signed Laurent Koscielny from FC Lorient in 2010. Although he had a tough start to life in North London, the Frenchman went on to become one of the top centre-backs in the league. For such a cheap price, this was certainly a fantastic signing by the Gunners.

It’s incredibly sad that his career ended at Arsenal the way it did and for that a lot of blame must lie at the feet of the management team in place at that time.

In time, he will be remembered correctly.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst – £12.15m

LONDON - MARCH 2: Kevin Lisbie of Charlton Athletic shields the ball from Giovanni van Bronckhorst of Arsenal during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match held on March 2, 2003 at Highbury, in London. Arsenal won the match 2-0. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
LONDON – MARCH 2: Kevin Lisbie of Charlton Athletic shields the ball from Giovanni van Bronckhorst of Arsenal during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match held on March 2, 2003 at Highbury, in London. Arsenal won the match 2-0. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)

Giovanni van Bronckhorst arrived at Arsenal from Rangers for the not-inconsiderable sum of £12.15m in 2001. In his first season he played 32 times for Arsenal, scoring one and assisting three. In his second season he played 31 games with one goal and seven assists but his time at the club was up.

Just two years after signing for Arsenal, he was off on loan to Barcelona before moving there permanently for free in 2004.

Three seasons, 154 appearances, seven goals and 18 assists in Spain was followed by another free transfer, this time back home to Feyenoord, the club van Bronckhorst had joined when he was just 18.

Van Bronckhorst retired from playing in 2010 and is currently the manager of Guangzhou R&F.

Gabriel Paulista – £13.5m

Gabriel Paulista
Gabriel Paulista

A few years after Koscielny, Gabriel joined the club from Villarreal. He had his moments in an Arsenal shirt, but generally never seemed to settle and was a little bit bonkers.

Eventually, after winning two FA Cups and making 64 appearances, the Brazilian returned to Spain.

Mathieu Debuchy – £13.5m

Mathieu Debuchy
Mathieu Debuchy

At the time, this seemed like a great signing for a relatively small fee. The Gunners had lost Bacary Sagna to Manchester City, and Mathieu Debuchy seemed like a younger and similarly capable option.

However, a long-term injury saw Hector Bellerín take the Frenchman’s place in the team and Debuchy never stopped whinging about it whenever he managed to get fit.

With no intention of fighting this young upstart for a place, Debuchy moved to Saint-Etienne in 2018 on a free transfer after Arsenal cancelled his contract to shut him up.

Overall, Debuchy is one of those signings that leaves you wondering what could’ve been and might even be viewed as a ‘sliding doors’ transfer.

What would have happened had Marko Aranautovic not shoved him unnecessarily into the advertising hoardings? Where would Debuchy be now?

More importantly, where would Bellerin be?

Sokratis – £14.4m

Arsenal's Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos (L) vies with West Ham United's French striker Sebastien Haller (R) during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and West Ham at the Emirates Stadium in London on March 7, 2020.
Arsenal’s Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos (L) vies with West Ham United’s French striker Sebastien Haller (R) during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and West Ham at the Emirates Stadium in London on March 7, 2020. (Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)

What to make of the Greek defender?

There is no doubt he has the passion but does he have the talent? Not £14.4m worth, that’s for sure, as evidenced by the fact that he’s only worth £3.6m (it was £7.2m in the summer) now despite being worth £18m when we first bought him.

Isn’t even in the squad this season.

Calum Chambers – £18.2m

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 09: Callum Chambers of Arsenal celebrates their second goal scored by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at London Stadium on December 09, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 09: Callum Chambers of Arsenal celebrates their second goal scored by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at London Stadium on December 09, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Calum Chambers joined Arsenal in the same summer as Gabriel and Debuchy. For a while, he looked like the only defensive success story of that window when the Gunners signed the 19-year-old (now 25) from Southampton to play right-back.

Although he started well, the Englishman never hit the heights we hoped and ended up on loan at Middlesbrough and Fulham. He really made the most of those loans, proving himself as a capable centre-back and even being voted Fulham’s Player of the Season.

At Arsenal, however, he has not done enough and the club wanted to sell him, even with his knee injury.

Gabriel Magalhaes – £23.4m

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Gabriel of Arsenal tackles Michail Antonio of West Ham United during the Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on September 19, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Will Oliver - Pool/Getty Images)
(Photo by Will Oliver – Pool/Getty Images)

Arsenal fought off tough competition to sign Gabriel from Lille, convincing the player to take less money because he believed in Mikel Arteta’s project more than the one going on at Manchester United.

Thrown straight into the side, he scored a debut goal and has looked like he has played in this league for years unlike many of his colleagues who actually have.

Kieran Tierney – £24.3m

Kieran Tierney
Kieran Tierney

I’m fairly sure we can say at this point we will all look back at Kieran Tierney’s signing as one of the bargains of the century, if he can sort his hips out.

William Saliba – £27m

William Saliba on his friendly debut against MK Dons (Photo via David Price on Twitter)
William Saliba on his friendly debut against MK Dons (Photo via David Price on Twitter)

The 19-year-old was signed by Arsenal from Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2019 but spent all of 19/20 on loan with his childhood club.

At the time of writing, we haven’t got to see much of Saliba in an Arsenal shirt, but big things are expected if Arteta would only give him a chance.

Shkodran Mustafi – £36.9m

The aftermath of the Jamie Vardy kick on Shkodran Mustafi (Photo via Mustafi on Instagram)
The aftermath of the Jamie Vardy kick on Shkodran Mustafi (Photo via Mustafi on Instagram)

Mustafi is Arsenal’s most expensive defender by far, costing over twice as much as Chambers and he shouldn’t have cost anything close to £37m.

He joined as a World Cup winner and a regular from a top-five league with Valencia, but hasn’t lived up to the hype. If anything, he’s gone out of his way to avoid any and all hype around him whatsoever and his tendency to dive in, ignoring the dangers of doing so, is legendary.

Just as he was starting to look like the defender we all thought we’d signed in 2016, his hamstring ripped from the bone and that was that.

The club tried to to sell him but couldn’t.

He’s out of contract in the summer along with quite a few others.

Arsenal Football club’s greatest left-backs

Kieran Tierney has already made himself a fan favourite at Arsenal, so will he be able to claim a place amongst the club’s greatest left-backs?

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Kieran Tierney of Celtic arrives at the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa League Group B match between Celtic and Rosenborg at Celtic Park on September 20, 2018 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER 20: Kieran Tierney of Celtic arrives at the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa League Group B match between Celtic and Rosenborg at Celtic Park on September 20, 2018, in Glasgow, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

If Mikel Arteta wants his side to play flowing attacking football and use the width of the pitch to full effect, Kieran Tierney looks like he is an excellent capture.

The Scot, however, has high standards to live up to if he wants to be one of the best left-backs in Arsenal’s history as there have been a number of top players to represent the club in that position.

Here are Arsenal’s greatest left-backs

Kenny Sansom

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - AUGUST 01: Arsenal defender Kenny Sansom pictured ahead of the 1984/85 season at Highbury Stadium in London, England. (Photo by Allsport/Getty Images)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – AUGUST 01: Arsenal defender Kenny Sansom pictured ahead of the 1984/85 season at Highbury Stadium in London, England. (Photo by Allsport/Getty Images)

This one will be worth asking your parents about if you don’t remember him yourself.

Sansom arrived at Arsenal in 1980 and turned out to be one of the best left-backs of his era.

He joined from Crystal Palace as a replacement for Sammy Nelson and had everything required to be a class act for the club.

Sansom could get up and down the line while being able to both attack and defend. He had pace and poise on the ball, always able to pick out a pass.

His eight seasons at the club saw him make 394 appearances and also become a key player for England.

Sansom moved to Newcastle in 1988 and also played for QPR, Coventry and Everton after being picked up on a free transfer before retiring.

Eddie Hapgood

Eddie Hapgood
Arsenal and England footballer Eddie Hapgood (1908 – 1973) leads the his team onto the pitch at the start of a Football League, Jubilee Trust Fund match against Tottenham Hotspur at Highbury, 20th August 1938. (Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Eddie Hapgood was a player who, upon arrival, was considered too small and frail to play for the Gunners so the former milkman was forced by Arsenal trainer Tom Whittaker to take up extra weight training and let go of his vegan diet in order to bulk up.

Hapgood would end up becoming a player known for his athleticism and played 393 times for the Gunners as well as earning 30 caps for England – not bad for a player signed from Kettering.

Nigel Winterburn

If Arsenal are going to return to the summit of the English game and win the Premier League they need to have a strong, reliable backline. Right now, no one is convinced the Gunners can challenge for the crown with football betting markets having them at 40/1 to win the Premier League.

Nigel Winterburn won three top division titles while at Arsenal and was part of a famous back four that contained Steve Bould, Tony Adams and Lee Dixon.

Martin Keown also joined to give Arsenal a formidable defence that helped them win the Cup Winner’s Cup in 1994, beating Parma 1-0 in the final.

Ashley Cole

ashley cole forgive and forget

Arguably the most naturally gifted left-back ever to play for Arsenal, his time with the club was immensely successful, winning two Premier League titles and three FA Cups but his departure left a bitter taste in the mouth of the fans.

He is famously quoted for his anger at ‘only’ being offered a contract renewal worth £55,000 per week.

Cole signed for Chelsea for £5m plus William Gallas in the summer of 2006, just beating the transfer deadline to get the deal done.

Despite this, the England star who picked up 107 caps was still one of Arsenal’s greatest to grace the left side of defence.

Arsenal Football Club’s 64 most expensive players

Arsenal haven’t usually been known as big spenders, something that is evident when you see their 64 most expensive players.

It has only been in recent years under Mikel Arteta and Edu that Arsenal have seen their spending really explode.

Nicolas Pepe, under Unai Emery, was the standout at £72m until Declan Rice’s arrival in the summer of 2023, but the Pepe fee itself was so far removed from what Arsenal were used to paying.

Mesut Ozil at £40m was seen as a huge buy while £55m for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang not long before Arsene Wenger departed the club set a new record.

Now, 10 of the top 20 Arsenal transfers of all time have come under Mikel Arteta, with five in the top 10.

14 of the top 25 are also still owned by the club (with Kieran Tierney out on loan). 2 of the top three were only purchased in the summer of 2023.

Arsenal’s 64 most expensive signings

David Luiz £7.83m

Arsenal's Brazilian defender David Luiz (L) reacts during the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England on July 21, 2020. (Photo by Rui Vieira / POOL / AFP)
Arsenal’s Brazilian defender David Luiz (L) reacts during the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England on July 21, 2020. (Photo by Rui Vieira / POOL / AFP)

from Chelsea

Edu £7.88m

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Arsenal's Sylvain Wiltord (L) jumps on teammate Edu (R) after he scored the opening goal against Grimsby Town's in The Worthington Cup 4th round match at Highbury in London 27 November 2001. AFP PHOTO Adrian DENNIS
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Arsenal’s Sylvain Wiltord (L) jumps on teammate Edu (R) after he scored the opening goal against Grimsby Town’s in The Worthington Cup 4th round match at Highbury in London 27 November 2001. AFP PHOTO Adrian DENNIS

from Corinthians

Richard Wright £8.10m

14 Apr 2002: David Seaman and Richard Wright of Arsenal leave the field after the AXA FA Cup Semi Final between Arsenal and Middlesbrough at Old Trafford, Manchester. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
14 Apr 2002: David Seaman and Richard Wright of Arsenal leave the field after the AXA FA Cup Semi Final between Arsenal and Middlesbrough at Old Trafford, Manchester. Credit: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

from Ipswich

Bacary Sagna £8.10m

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 25: Bacary Sagna of Arsenal reacts during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Swansea City at Emirates Stadium on March 25, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 25: Bacary Sagna of Arsenal reacts during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Swansea City at Emirates Stadium on March 25, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

from Auxerre

Robert Pires £8.82m

pires sega
Robert Pires

from Marseille

Nacho Monreal £9m

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 15: Nacho Monreal of Arsenal takes a throw in during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second leg match between Arsenal and AC Milan at Emirates Stadium on March 15, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 15: Nacho Monreal of Arsenal takes a throw in during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second leg match between Arsenal and AC Milan at Emirates Stadium on March 15, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

from Malaga

Emmanuel Adebayor £9m

Emmanuel Adebayor, during his Arsenal days.
Emmanuel Adebayor, during his Arsenal days.

from Monaco

Tomas Rosicky £9m

Tomas Rosicky scores against Tottenham
Super Tom

from Borussia Dortmund

Theo Walcott £9.45m

Theo walcott bate borisov 2
Theo Walcott

from Southampton

Lauren £9.63m

LONDON - NOVEMBER 13: Lauren of Arsenal (R) celebrates with Thierry Henry during the Barclays Premiership match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at White Hart Lane on November 13, 2004 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)
LONDON – NOVEMBER 13: Lauren of Arsenal (R) celebrates with Thierry Henry during the Barclays Premiership match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at White Hart Lane on November 13, 2004 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)

from Mallorca

Dennis Bergkamp £10.13m

Dennis Bergkamp v Newcastle
Dennis does Newcastle

from Inter Milan

Per Mertesacker £10.17m

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 27: Per Mertesacker of Arsenal celebrates with the trophy after The Emirates FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on May 27, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 27: Per Mertesacker of Arsenal celebrates with the trophy after The Emirates FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on May 27, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

from Werder Bremen

Thomas Vermaelen £10.8m

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 18: Thomas Vermaelen of Arsenal in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Sunderland at Emirates Stadium on August 18, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 18: Thomas Vermaelen of Arsenal in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Sunderland at Emirates Stadium on August 18, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

from Ajax

Olivier Giroud £10.8m

Arsenal's French striker Olivier Giroud (L) and Arsenal's English midfielder Theo Walcott (R) celebrate their victory after the final whistle in the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Arsenal at St James' Park in Newcastle Upon Tyne, northeast England, on May 19, 2013 (Ian MacNicol/AFP/Getty Images)
Arsenal’s French striker Olivier Giroud (L) and Arsenal’s English midfielder Theo Walcott (R) celebrate their victory after the final whistle in the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Arsenal at St James’ Park in Newcastle Upon Tyne, northeast England, on May 19, 2013 (Ian MacNicol/AFP/Getty Images)

from Montpellier

Mikel Arteta £10.8m

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 15: Mikel Arteta of Arsenal is congratulated by team mates after scoring to make it 4-0 during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on May 15, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 15: Mikel Arteta of Arsenal is congratulated by team mates after scoring to make it 4-0 during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on May 15, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

from Everton

Gervinho £10.8m

Joey Barton v Gervinho
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – AUGUST 13: Gervinho of Arsenal confronts Joey Barton of Newcastle shortly before being shown the red card by referee Peter Walton during the Barclays Premier League match between Newcastle United and Arsenal at St James’ Park on August 13, 2011 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

from Lille

Mohamed Elneny £11.25m

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 11: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celebrates scoring the 2nd Arsenal goal with Mohamed Elneny of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Watford at Emirates Stadium on March 11, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 11: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celebrates scoring the 2nd Arsenal goal with Mohamed Elneny of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Watford at Emirates Stadium on March 11, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

from Basel

Laurent Koscielny £11.25m

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - MAY 29: Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal looks dejected as he walks past the Europa League Trophy whilst coduring the UEFA Europa League Final between Chelsea and Arsenal at Baku Olimpiya Stadionu on May 29, 2019 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – MAY 29: Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal looks dejected as he walks past the Europa League Trophy whilst coduring the UEFA Europa League Final between Chelsea and Arsenal at Baku Olimpiya Stadionu on May 29, 2019 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

from Lorient

Giovanni van Bronckhorst £12.15m

LONDON - MARCH 2: Kevin Lisbie of Charlton Athletic shields the ball from Giovanni van Bronckhorst of Arsenal during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match held on March 2, 2003 at Highbury, in London. Arsenal won the match 2-0. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
LONDON – MARCH 2: Kevin Lisbie of Charlton Athletic shields the ball from Giovanni van Bronckhorst of Arsenal during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match held on March 2, 2003 at Highbury, in London. Arsenal won the match 2-0. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)

from Rangers

Eduardo £12.15m

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 15: Da Silva Eduardo of Arsenal celebrates with teammate Emmanuel Eboue (R) after scoring his team's sixth goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park on August 15, 2009 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 15: Da Silva Eduardo of Arsenal celebrates with teammate Emmanuel Eboue (R) after scoring his team’s sixth goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park on August 15, 2009 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

from Dinamo Zagreb

Alex Oxalde-Chamberlain £12.42m

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 28: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of Arsenal looks on during the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Arsenal and Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium on September 28, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 28: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of Arsenal looks on during the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Arsenal and Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium on September 28, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

from Southampton

Petr Cech £12.6m

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 11: Troy Deeney of Watford sees his penalty saved by Petr Cech of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Watford at Emirates Stadium on March 11, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 11: Troy Deeney of Watford sees his penalty saved by Petr Cech of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Watford at Emirates Stadium on March 11, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

from Chelsea

Gabriel Paulista £12.6m

Gabriel Paulista
Gabriel Paulista

from Villarreal

Aleksandr Hleb £13.5m

MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 16: Aleksandr Hleb of Arsenal looks dejected during the FA Cup sponsored by E.ON 5th Round match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on February 16, 2008 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM – FEBRUARY 16: Aleksandr Hleb of Arsenal looks dejected during the FA Cup sponsored by E.ON 5th Round match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on February 16, 2008 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

from Stuttgart

Mathieu Debuchy £13.5m

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Mathieu Debuchy of Arsenal is challenged by Marko Arnautovic of Stoke City and subsequently picks up an injury during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Stoke City at Emirates Stadium on January 11, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 11: Mathieu Debuchy of Arsenal is challenged by Marko Arnautovic of Stoke City and subsequently picks up an injury during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Stoke City at Emirates Stadium on January 11, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

from Newcastle

Lukas Podolski £13.5m

Arsenal's German defender Per Mertesacker (L) and German striker Lukas Podolski (R) attend a training session at the London Colney, North London, on November 3, 2014, on the eve of the UEFA Champions League Group D football match between Arsenal and Anderlecht. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK
Arsenal’s German defender Per Mertesacker (L) and German striker Lukas Podolski (R) attend a training session at the London Colney, North London, on November 3, 2014, on the eve of the UEFA Champions League Group D football match between Arsenal and Anderlecht. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK

from FC Koln

Francis Jeffers £13.77m

Arsenal's Francis Jeffers lands on Manchester United's Philip Neville after a hard tackle which resulted in a red card for Jeffers during the FA Community Shield soccer match 10 August, 2003 in Cardiff, Wales, UK. Manchester United and Arsenal tied one goal each with Manchester United winning on penalty kicks 5-4. AFP PHOTO/JIM WATSON
Arsenal’s Francis Jeffers lands on Manchester United’s Philip Neville after a hard tackle which resulted in a red card for Jeffers during the FA Community Shield soccer match 10 August, 2003 in Cardiff, Wales, UK. Manchester United and Arsenal tied one goal each with Manchester United winning on penalty kicks 5-4. AFP PHOTO/JIM WATSON

from Everton

Samir Nasri £14.4m

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20: Samir Nasri of Arsenal looks on during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on August 20, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 20: Samir Nasri of Arsenal looks on during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on August 20, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

from Marseille

Sokratis £14.4m

Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Portsmouth FC and Arsenal FC at Fratton Park on March 02, 2020 in Portsmouth, England.
PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND – MARCH 02: Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Portsmouth FC and Arsenal FC at Fratton Park on March 02, 2020 in Portsmouth, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

from Borussia Dortmund

Thierry Henry £14.49m

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Ledley King (L) of Tottenham follows Arsenal's Thierry Henry (R) across the field during their Premiership match at White Hart Lane in London 13 November 2004. Both players scored in the game with Arsenal winning the match 5-4. AFP PHOTO Adrian DENNIS
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Ledley King (L) of Tottenham follows Arsenal’s Thierry Henry (R) across the field during their Premiership match at White Hart Lane in London 13 November 2004. Both players scored in the game with Arsenal winning the match 5-4. AFP PHOTO Adrian DENNIS

from Juventus

Andrey Arshavin £14.85m

Arsenal's Russian midfielder Andrey Arshavin celebrates after scoring a goal during his team's Champions League round of 16, 1st leg football match against FC Barcelona on February 16, 2011 at the Emirates Stadium in London. AFP PHOTO/LLUIS GENE.
Arsenal’s Russian midfielder Andrey Arshavin celebrates after scoring a goal during his team’s Champions League round of 16, 1st leg football match against FC Barcelona on February 16, 2011 at the Emirates Stadium in London. AFP PHOTO/LLUIS GENE.

from Zenit St. Petersburg

Sylvain Wiltord £15.75m

BOLTON - APRIL 26: Sylvain Wiltord of Arsenal celebrates after scoring the first goal during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match between Bolton Wanderers and Arsenal held on April 26, 2003 at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton, England. The match ended in a 2-2 draw. (Photo by Gary M. Prior/Getty Images)
BOLTON – APRIL 26: Sylvain Wiltord of Arsenal celebrates after scoring the first goal during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match between Bolton Wanderers and Arsenal held on April 26, 2003 at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton, England. The match ended in a 2-2 draw. (Photo by Gary M. Prior/Getty Images)

from Bordeuax

Albert Sambi Lokonga £15.75m

Albert Sambi Lokonga via Arsenal
Albert Sambi Lokonga via Arsenal

from RSC Anderlecht

Takehiro Tomiyasu £16m

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 28: Takehiro Tomiyasu of Arsenal celebrates after scoring the team's fifth goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Sheffield United at Emirates Stadium on October 28, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 28: Takehiro Tomiyasu of Arsenal celebrates after scoring the team’s fifth goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Sheffield United at Emirates Stadium on October 28, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

from Bologna

Santi Cazorla £17.1m

Arsenal's Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla (L) and Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta (R) attend training for the forthcoming UEFA Champions League group B football match against FC Schalke 04 at Arsenal's training ground, London Colney, North London, England on October 23, 2012. AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK
AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK

from Malaga

Jakub Kiwior £17m

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 11:Jakub Kiwior of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Burnley FC at Emirates Stadium on November 11, 2023 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 11:Jakub Kiwior of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Burnley FC at Emirates Stadium on November 11, 2023 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

from Spezia Calcio

Jose Antonio Reyes £18m

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Arsenal's Jose Reyes (top) flies over Gary Neville of Manchester United during their FA Premier League clash at Highbury in London, 28 March 2004. AFP PHOTO / ODD
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Arsenal’s Jose Reyes (top) flies over Gary Neville of Manchester United during their FA Premier League clash at Highbury in London, 28 March 2004. AFP PHOTO / ODD

from Sevilla

Lucas Perez £18m

Arsenal's Spanish forward Lucas Perez celebrates his third goal during the UEFA Champions league Group A football match between FC Basel 1893 and Arsenal FC on December 6, 2016 at the St Jakob Park stadium in Basel. (PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP/Getty Images)
(PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP/Getty Images)

from Deportivo La Coruna

Danny Welbeck £18m

Arsenal's British striker Danny Welbeck celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League quarter-final second leg football match between CSKA Moscow and Arsenal at VEB Arena stadium in Moscow on April 12, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Alexander NEMENOV
Arsenal’s British striker Danny Welbeck celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League quarter-final second leg football match between CSKA Moscow and Arsenal at VEB Arena stadium in Moscow on April 12, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Alexander NEMENOV

from Manchester United

Calum Chambers £18.21m

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 09: Callum Chambers of Arsenal celebrates their second goal scored by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at London Stadium on December 09, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 09: Callum Chambers of Arsenal celebrates their second goal scored by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at London Stadium on December 09, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

from Southampton

Leandro Trossard £21m

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 11: Leandro Trossard of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at London Stadium on February 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 11: Leandro Trossard of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal FC at London Stadium on February 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

from Brighton & Hove Albion

Bernd Leno £22.5m

Arsenal's German goalkeeper Bernd Leno gestures during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 16, 2020.
Arsenal’s German goalkeeper Bernd Leno gestures during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 16, 2020. (Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)

from Bayer Leverkusen

Gabriel Magalhaes £23.4m

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal celebrates with teammate Gabriel after scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on September 19, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Walton - Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal celebrates with teammate Gabriel after scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on September 19, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Walton – Pool/Getty Images)

from Lille

Kieran Tierney £24.3m

kieran tierney via arsenal
kieran tierney via arsenal

from Celtic

Aaron Ramsdale £24m

BRENTFORD, ENGLAND: Aaron Ramsdale of Arsenal reacts during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Brentford and Arsenal at Gtech Community Stadium on September 27, 2023. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
BRENTFORD, ENGLAND: Aaron Ramsdale of Arsenal reacts during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Brentford and Arsenal at Gtech Community Stadium on September 27, 2023. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

from Sheffield United

Lucas Torreira £25.79m

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 02: Lucas Torreira of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on December 1, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 02: Lucas Torreira of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team’s fourth goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on December 1, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

from Sampdoria

William Saliba £25.79m

William Saliba on his friendly debut against MK Dons (Photo via David Price on Twitter)
William Saliba on his friendly debut against MK Dons (Photo via David Price on Twitter)

from Saint-Etienne

Henrikh Mkhitaryan £30.6m

Arsenal's Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan (L) and Arsenal's Spanish defender Nacho Monreal (R) react to another missed chance during the pre-season friendly football match for the Emirates Cup between Arsenal and Lyon at The Emirates Stadium in north London on July 28, 2019. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)
Arsenal’s Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan (L) and Arsenal’s Spanish defender Nacho Monreal (R) react to another missed chance during the pre-season friendly football match for the Emirates Cup between Arsenal and Lyon at The Emirates Stadium in north London on July 28, 2019. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

from Manchester United

Fabio Vieira £30m

Arsenal's Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira celebrates after scoring the final penalty in the shoot-out after the English FA Community Shield football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium, in London, August 6, 2023. Arsenal won after a 4-1 penalty shoot-out win, following the 1-1 draw in 90 minutes. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira celebrates after scoring the final penalty in the shoot-out after the English FA Community Shield football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium, in London, August 6, 2023. Arsenal won after a 4-1 penalty shoot-out win, following the 1-1 draw in 90 minutes. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

from FC Porto

Oleksandr Zinchenko £30m

LUTON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 05: Oleksandr Zinchenko of Arsenal celebrates after Declan Rice of Arsenal (not pictured) scores the team's fourth goal during the Premier League match between Luton Town and Arsenal FC at Kenilworth Road on December 05, 2023 in Luton, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LUTON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Oleksandr Zinchenko of Arsenal celebrates after Declan Rice of Arsenal (not pictured) scores the team’s fourth goal during the Premier League match between Luton Town and Arsenal FC at Kenilworth Road on December 05, 2023 in Luton, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

from Manchester City

Martin Odegaard £30m

Arsenal's Martin Odegaard picks up a camera and takes pictures as he celebrates at the end of the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 4, 2024. (Photo by IAN KINGTON/IKIMAGES/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard picks up a camera and takes pictures as he celebrates at the end of the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 4, 2024. (Photo by IAN KINGTON/IKIMAGES/AFP via Getty Images)

from Real Madrid

Jurrien Timber £34m

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: Jurrien Timber of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Nottingham Forest at Emirates Stadium on August 12, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 12: Jurrien Timber of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Nottingham Forest at Emirates Stadium on August 12, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

from Ajax

Shkodran Mustafi £36.9m

Shkodran Mustafi of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Everton FC at Emirates Stadium on February 23, 2020 in London, United Kingdom.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 23: Shkodran Mustafi of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Everton FC at Emirates Stadium on February 23, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

from Valencia

Alexis Sanchez £38.25m

Alexis sick. Picture: Telegraph
Alexis sick. Picture: Telegraph

from Barcelona

Granit Xhaka £40.5m

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 19: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal applauds the fans after the UEFA Europa League group F match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Arsenal FC at on September 19, 2019 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Bongarts/Getty Images)
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 19: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal applauds the fans after the UEFA Europa League group F match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Arsenal FC at on September 19, 2019 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Bongarts/Getty Images)

from Borussia Monchengladbach

Mesut Ozil £42.3m

Arsenal's Spanish head coach Mikel Arteta (R) embraces Arsenal's German midfielder Mesut Ozil (L) on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in London on January 1, 2020. - Arsenal won the game 2-0. (Photo by Ian KINGTON / IKIMAGES / AFP)
Arsenal’s Spanish head coach Mikel Arteta (R) embraces Arsenal’s German midfielder Mesut Ozil (L) on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in London on January 1, 2020. – Arsenal won the game 2-0. (Photo by Ian KINGTON / IKIMAGES / AFP)

from Real Madrid

Thomas Partey £45m

Thomas Partey with Arsenal (Photo via Arsenal on Twitter)
Thomas Partey with Arsenal (Photo via Arsenal on Twitter)

Gabriel Jesus £45m

LUTON, ENGLAND: Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal celebrates after scoring the team's second goal during the Premier League match between Luton Town and Arsenal FC at Kenilworth Road on December 05, 2023. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LUTON, ENGLAND: Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Luton Town and Arsenal FC at Kenilworth Road on December 05, 2023. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

from Manchester City

Alexandre Lacazette £47.7m

Arsenal's French striker Alexandre Lacazette celebrates after scoring their fourth goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 16, 2020. - Arsenal won the game 4-0.
Arsenal’s French striker Alexandre Lacazette celebrates after scoring their fourth goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 16, 2020. – Arsenal won the game 4-0. (Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)

from Lyon

Ben White £50m

LONDON, ENGLAND: Ben White of Arsenal in action during the UEFA Champions League match between Arsenal FC and RC Lens at Emirates Stadium on November 29, 2023. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Ben White of Arsenal in action during the UEFA Champions League match between Arsenal FC and RC Lens at Emirates Stadium on November 29, 2023. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

from Brighton & Hove Albion

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang £57.38m

Arsenal's Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Fulham and Arsenal at Craven Cottage in London on September 12, 2020. (Photo by PAUL CHILDS / POOL / AFP)
Arsenal’s Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Fulham and Arsenal at Craven Cottage in London on September 12, 2020. (Photo by PAUL CHILDS / POOL / AFP)

from Borussia Dortmund

Kai Havertz £60m

Arsenal's German midfielder #29 Kai Havertz celebrates after scoring their second goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 24, 2024. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s German midfielder #29 Kai Havertz celebrates after scoring their second goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 24, 2024. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

from Chelsea

Nicolas Pepe £72m

Nicolas Pepe (Photo via Instagram)
Nicolas Pepe (Photo via Instagram)

from Lille

Declan Rice £105m

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates after the team's victory in the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC at Emirates Stadium on February 04, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 04: Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates after the team’s victory in the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC at Emirates Stadium on February 04, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

from West Ham

Arsenal Football Club – Invincibles

There have been many pretenders, including Liverpool in the 19/20 season, but none have come close to Arsenal’s magnificent achievement of going undefeated.

Arsenal Undefeated
Arsenal Undefeated

As an Arsenal supporter, to see the Invincibles tag applied to any team who happens to go a few games unbeaten is irritating, having watched Arsenal undefeated for real. That’s not to say that those teams aren’t good, but I often feel that the magnitude of Arsenal’s 49 game unbeaten run is often forgotten; that the achievement itself is played down as something that any team is capable of doing, never mind the fact that it’s an incredibly rare feat to pull off in professional football, so rare in fact that agen bola almost seems like free money.

That may be where the hunger from the media to see a new Invincibles comes from. We were only ten games into the last Premier League season when Manchester City were being bigged up for an unbeaten season, just because they happen to be having an easy time of it. Pep Guardiola and his players, at least, understood there was little point in entertaining any ideas about going the whole year unbeaten.

While they were distancing themselves from the idea, I was reminded of something Arsene Wenger said back in 2002. Arsenal had gone a whole season without losing away from home, and had started the 02/03 campaign in fine form. The idea that Arsenal could go a whole season unbeaten was in its infancy, but nonetheless existed as early as then. Rather than shy away from the possibility, Wenger, emboldened as he was by his team’s quality, embraced it.

“It’s not impossible as A.C. Milan once did it but I can’t see why it’s so shocking to say it,” he said. “Do you think Manchester United, Liverpool or Chelsea don’t dream that as well? They’re exactly the same. They just don’t say it because they’re scared to look ridiculous, but nobody is ridiculous in this job as we know anything can happen.”

Wenger did end up looking ridiculous, at least temporarily. Arsenal lost to Everton in October, when a certain 16-year-old Wayne Rooney popped up with a last minute screamer to kill the run before it even got going. Arsenal would go on to lose the title to Manchester United that season, and the thought of a season undefeated was put aside.

The run of 49, though, had its origins in the tail end of that campaign. Robert Pires and Jermaine Pennant both scored hat-tricks as Arsenal swept aside Southampton 6-1 at Highbury, before closing the season with a 4-0 win at Sunderland, thanks to another hat-trick, this time from Freddie Ljungberg. If nothing else, the games were a reminder of the immense quality Arsenal had.

By now, you could probably name the Invincibles team off by heart. Jens Lehmann, Sol Campbell, Kolo Toure, Lauren, Ashley Cole, Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva, Freddie Ljungberg, Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry, lined-up in a 4-4-1-1 formation. Tellingly, only Jens Lehmann was a new addition going into the 2003/04 season. In typical Wenger fashion, Arsenal’s response to losing out on the title wasn’t to go out in the summer and spend millions on reinforcements, but to rely on what he already had at his disposal getting even better.

The season began with four straight wins over Everton, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Manchester City. There was a stumble at home to Portsmouth, as they held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw, before the first big test: a trip to the champions, Manchester United.

That game turned out to be one of the most infamous in Premier League history. The “Battle of Old Trafford”, as it became to be known, saw two teams who genuinely hated each other spend most of the game fouling one another (overall, 31 fouls were committed by both teams) before setting off a mass brawl after the final whistle. The flash point was the antics of United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who managed to get Patrick Vieira sent off by provoking him into a second yellow card. Hence, when the Dutchman stepped up and missed a late penalty, the Arsenal players wasted little time in confronting him.

In the aftermath, Arsenal were fined £175,000, and several players were banned. Lauren was suspended for four games, Martin Keown got three games while Vieira and Ray Parlour got one each. Meanwhile, the rather fortunate fact that van Nistelrooy, a top striker in his day, missed his penalty meant that Arsenal were still unbeaten in the league.

Having escaped Old Trafford with a point, and with several players suspended, Arsenal rallied to win their next three games against Newcastle, Liverpool and Chelsea. A draw at Charlton followed, before three more wins against Leeds, Tottenham, and Birmingham. By this point, Arsenal had played most of the would-be title contenders and teams most likely to finish in the European spaces, yet still hadn’t lost. The unbeaten run at this stage was 15 games long.

By January, Arsenal were still unbeaten. Ominously for the rest of the league, it was this point that the team entered its best spell of form. Between January 10th and March 20th, Arsenal won nine straight league games. An unbeaten season wasn’t the only possibility, as an unprecedented treble was also on the cards.

Regrettably, that prospect came crashing down in the space of a week. Arsenal were eliminated from the FA Cup by Manchester United before, days later, Chelsea upset them in the Champions League quarter-final. Having taken two significant punches, Arsenal were teetering going into the game against Liverpool at Highbury.

It was this game against Liverpool that gave everyone at Arsenal the belief that the unbeaten season was possible. Sami Hypia gave the visitors the lead after just five minutes, and Henry’s equaliser was cancelled out by a Michael Owen goal before half-time. The team pulled themselves together during the break, and produced a second-half comeback that would generate enough momentum to carry them through to the end of the season. Pires equalised four minutes into the second half. Henry then embarked on a solo run through the heart of the Liverpool defence and gave Arsenal the lead. He then completed his hat-trick in the 78th minute. Doubts about Arsenal’s character were well and truly quashed.

A week later, the Premier League title was within sight. Leeds visited Highbury and were blitzed by a rampant Henry, who scored four goals in what many consider to be his best performance in an Arsenal shirt. The team just needed one more point to secure the title with four games to spare, and the venue couldn’t have been more perfect.

Arsenal had won the league at White Hart Lane before, way back in 1971. Still, nothing will dilute the pleasure of winning the league in your rival’s backyard. Goals from Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires, scored in typically sweeping Arsenal style, gave us an early two goal lead. Spurs came back in the second half with goals from Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Keane to level the game at 2-2, but it didn’t matter. Arsenal were champions again.

Henry didn’t score that day, but he did have an amusing anecdote to share.

“We had orders from the police not to over celebrate if we win the title there (White Hart Lane),” he told Sky Sports.

“In all fairness everyone said ‘okay we understand,’ because it might goo to far. So you know the story, we went 2-0 up. Then they came back and Jens Lehmann did what Jens Lehmann did sometimes, but then they came back into the game and drew the game 2-2.

“They started to celebrate like they had won the league, so then I said ‘hang on a minute wait,’ they didn’t actually realise that we just needed a point to be champions. I don’t understand.

“So, then I said to Ashley Cole ‘when the referee blows the whistle, now we’re going to celebrate, because we wanted to be humble about it at the beginning of the game, but you’re going to celebrate a draw, really, at your place when we need a point to win the league.”

With the league title done and dusted, it would have been easy for the squad to switch off and coast through the final four games of the season. In fact, they very nearly did precisely that. The following game at home to Birmingham was a drab 0-0, before the record came under significant threat at Fratton Park against Portsmouth. With Arsenal trailing, they had to rely on young January signing Jose Antonio Reyes to get back into the game. Reyes’ arrival at the club proved significant, as he went on to score the winner against Fulham in the penultimate game of the season. There was just one game to go.

Arsenal undefeated: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Arsenal's L to R facing camera Jose Antonio Reyes,Robert Pires,Edu and Thierry Henry celebrates winning the 2003/2004 Football Premier League after drawing 2-2 with Tottenham during their Premier League clash at White Hart Lane in north London, 25 April 2004. AFP PHOTO / ODD ANDERSEN
Arsenal undefeated: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Arsenal’s L to R facing camera Jose Antonio Reyes,Robert Pires,Edu and Thierry Henry celebrates winning the 2003/2004 Football Premier League after drawing 2-2 with Tottenham during their Premier League clash at White Hart Lane in north London, 25 April 2004. AFP PHOTO / ODD ANDERSEN

Leicester at home, on paper, looked a breeze. But of course, in typical dramatic style, the underdogs took the lead on 26 minutes through former Arsenal striker Paul Dickov. Arsenal threw everything at Leicester, but couldn’t find a way through in the first half. Things would change quickly in the second half. Ashley Cole latched onto a trademark Bergkamp pass and was bundled over by Frank Sinclair in the penalty area. Henry stepped up and planted the ball into the bottom corner, becoming the first Arsenal player to score 30 league goals for 56 years in the process. In the 66th minute, Vieira fittingly gave Arsenal the lead, running onto a Bergkamp through pass, rounding the keeper and passing into an empty net. The game ended. Arsenal’s record stood at won 26, drawn 12, lost 0.

It’s been argued since that day that the achievement wasn’t all that special, because the standard of opposition wasn’t as high as it is now. However, there’s one very simple reason why it was a very special and incredible achievement: no team had done it for over 100 years. There have too many great teams in that time to count, but none of them were able to do what Arsenal did.

Having reached such a significant landmark, it would have, again, been so easy for Arsenal to relax and get complacent. The summer came and went, and the team regrouped to target a new record: Nottingham Forest’s 42 game unbeaten run, the longest run without defeat in English football. Arsenal need to avoid defeat in just three more games.

A 4-1 win at Everton got the 2004/05 season off to a flier. Middlesbrough then visited Highbury for the first home game of the season. Henry’s deft lob over Mark Schwarzer gave Arsenal an expected lead, but then the unexpected happened: Arsenal looked like losing. Middlesbrough equalised before half-time. Then, in the second half, Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink gave the visitors the lead. Three minutes later, Franck Queudrue took advantage of some dubious Lehmann positioning to put Middlesbrough 3-1 ahead. It looked like Arsenal were going to slip up right at the end.

This, though, was a side of hardened winners possessing bundles of ability. Bergkamp got a goal back straight away. Ten minutes later, Pires grabbed the equalier. Resurgent, Bergkamp set-up Reyes to hammer Arsenal into the lead, before Henry sealed the result with a fifth. The following week, Arsenal broke Forest’s record in rather more relaxing fashion with a 3-0 win over Blackburn.

The run continued for six more games, reaching 49 games – the number that is proudly sung by Arsenal supporters on the road. The run came to end in highly controversial circumstances at Old Trafford, but nobody has come close to threatening it since. Billions of pounds have been spent on players, and top class managers have come and gone, yet still the run endures. And until a club manages to get close to matching it, nobody should ever underestimate what an achievement it was, nor how special it was to see Arsenal undefeated.