Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain still tops Arsenal’s list of record departures, but growing interest in Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri could change that.
For almost a decade, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has held the distinction of being Arsenal‘s record sale, but that long-standing mark could finally fall before the end of this summer’s transfer window.
When Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Liverpool on deadline day in August 2017, Arsenal secured a guaranteed £35 million fee for a player with just one year remaining on his contract.
Reports at the time suggested add-ons could have taken the overall package to around £40 million, but the £35 million guaranteed fee remains the club’s benchmark.
Remarkably, despite the rapid inflation of the transfer market, no Arsenal player has surpassed that figure.
A few have come close to that amount, before and after, such as Folarin Balogun, whose 2023 move to Monaco was widely reported to match Oxlade-Chamberlain’s £35 million guaranteed fee.
However, that was only once all add-ons were included. The upfront fee was just £25m.
Nicholas Anelka previously moved for just under £30m, Alex Iwobi left for Everton in 2019 for £28 million, while Alexis Sanchez was around £1m less (despite reports, it wasn’t a swap with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, both players were sold), as was Cesc Fabregas.
Emile Smith Rowe followed with a £27 million move to Fulham last summer, Robin van Persie, when he left to follow his little boy, cost £26m while Eddie Nketiah joined Crystal Palace for £25 million.
For a club of Arsenal’s stature, it is a surprisingly modest record.
Many of their Premier League rivals have generated sales worth £80 million, £100 million or more, yet Arsenal’s highest guaranteed outgoing fee has remained unchanged since 2017.
That could finally change this summer.
The most obvious candidate is Gabriel Martinelli.
Despite a quieter campaign last season, the Brazil international remains only 25, is under contract and continues to attract interest.
Reports have valued him in the region of £45 million to £50 million, a figure that would comfortably establish a new club-record sale should Arsenal decide to cash in.
The other name to watch is Ethan Nwaneri.
Recent transfer speculation has placed the academy graduate’s valuation between €35 million and €40 million, with Arsenal reportedly prepared to consider a permanent sale only if it includes a substantial buy-back clause.
Whether Arsenal are prepared to sell either player is another question entirely.
Martinelli remains an established member of Mikel Arteta‘s squad, while Nwaneri is still regarded as one of the club’s brightest young talents despite uncertainty over his long-term role.
But after nearly nine years with Oxlade-Chamberlain sitting alone at the top of Arsenal’s list of record departures, there is a realistic possibility that the club’s highest-ever sale could finally be rewritten before the transfer window closes.
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