Arsenal are continuing to sign Europe’s best talent as they attempt to win the Premier League for the first time since 2004.
The Gunners whipped out the chequebook for Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery and now for Mikel Arteta as the Spaniard continues to spend big.
This summer Riccardo Calafiori has joined the club for an initial £33.6million, with add-ons.
However, despite the Italian centre-back’s brilliant displays in Serie A last season with Bologna and with Italy at Euro 2024 it’s not one of the club’s biggest ever deals.
Only the completion of the add-ons, which would make the deal worth £42m, will he even crack the top 10.
But who are the most expensive signings ever for Arsenal? talkSPORT.com takes a look…
10. Granit Xhaka – £38.9m
Xhaka signed for Arsenal in 2016, leaving German side Borussia Monchengladbach to make a move to the Premier League.
And his time at the Emirates will be remembered for his remarkable turnaround.
The midfielder was handed the captain’s armband in 2019 but things quickly turned sour as he was booed off the pitch by the Gunners fans.
Xhaka responded to the supporters by cupping his ear and throwing his shirt on the floor as he left the field.
It seemed that incident spelt the end of his time at the club, however, he made an unexpected return and ended up becoming a fan favourite.
He starred for Arsenal under Mikel Arteta last season as he helped lead a title charge before making a return to Germany with Bayer Leverkusen where he claimed the Bundesliga title in his first season.
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9. Mesut Ozil – £40.6m
Signed from Real Madrid, Ozil arrived as a world-class player and he most certainly kept that tag at Arsenal.
The German is one of the best playmakers seen in the Premier League, with his deft touches and incredible skill making his price tag a bargain.
Before leaving the Gunners in 2021, he played 254 games and boasted a record of 44 goals and 79 assists in all competitions.
His time at the Emirates was marred by a rough ending that saw him phased out of the team and even made absent from the club’s registered squad.
His talents will always be fondly remembered in north London.
Now he is gaining attention for, well, his gains as he hits the gym, making for an impressive body transformation.
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8. Thomas Partey – £43.2m
Partey made the move to England from Atletico Madrid in 2020.
The Ghanaian was considered one of the best defensive midfielders in the world at the time, with the signing key for Arteta’s side.
He has played a big role in Arsenal’s title challenges but on the whole, his career at the Emirates has been damaged by injuries.
Partey has been sidelined for over 330 days during his Gunners career after suffering from constant knocks and that made his fitness very unreliable.
He has made 115 appearances for the Gunners in total but has been linked to an exit in the transfer window.
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7. Gabriel Jesus – £45.1m
Ironically, Jesus arrived as a saviour for Arsenal in 2022.
Arteta had just lost strikers Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, meaning he was desperate for a new No.9.
So he returned to his former club to go all out to sign the Brazilian from Manchester City after they had brought in Erling Haaland.
Jesus has picked up a couple of injuries at the club so far, which has seen him only make 53 Premier League appearances in total across two season.
And the Gunners are rumoured to be looking for a new striker once again, with their No.9 only scoring four in 24 Premier League appearances last season.
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6. Alexandre Lacazette – £45.8m
Lacazette joined Arsenal from Lyon in 2017 and was a key player for the Gunners during his five-year spell at the club.
The Frenchman scored over 10 goals in four of his five seasons in the Premier League, netting a total of 71 times in 206 appearances in all competitions.
He even wore the captain’s armband at times as he led the line, however, he wasn’t able to take Arsenal back to the Champions League.
After his contract ran out in 2022, he returned to Lyon on a free transfer.
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5. Ben White – £50.6m
The signing of White was criticised by many due to the huge transfer fee as he joined from Brighton in 2021.
However, the transfer was viewed as a statement of intent from Arsenal by some, as they paid big money for a player with very high potential.
And the price paid seems worth it now as White has played over 100 games for the Gunners, becoming a crucial member of their defence.
He has also gone on to win four caps with England while at the club and he continues to be considered one of the best right-backs in the Premier League.
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4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – £55.1m
Aubameyang arrived at Arsenal in 2018 as one of the best strikers in Europe after an impressive spell at Borussia Dortmund.
He scored 10 goals in 13 games after joining the Gunners midway through the 17/18 season, instantly showing his goalscoring ability.
The following season, he would score 22 goals in the Premier League while also helping the club win the FA Cup.
However, things turned for the worse in 2020 when he fell out with Arteta and was exiled from the Arsenal squad, ultimately leading to his exit.
The striker left the club to join Barcelona on a free transfer before also having a short ill-fated stint back in England with Chelsea.
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3. Kai Havertz – £65m
Havertz joined Arsenal from London rivals Chelsea to become Arteta’s record signing for the club at the time.
The German had struggled at the Blues and many questioned the signing, especially when it cost the Gunners £65million to bring him to the Emirates.
He failed to hit the ground running and didn’t score his first goal until September 30 in a 4-0 win over Bournemouth.
However, he then hit his straps and Havertz ended last season with 13 Premier League goals in 37 appearances.
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2. Nicolas Pepe – £72m
Out of all the players on this list, Pepe ended up having the worst Arsenal career.
The winger signed for the Gunners from Lille in 2019 for a then club-record fee of £72million.
However, he struggled from the off and failed to perform consistently, scoring just 27 goals in 112 games for the club.
Pepe was sent out on loan to Nice in 2022 and after returning to North London, he and the club were seeking an exit.
No clubs were able to make the signing until this summer when his contract was terminated to allow him to join Trabzonspor for free.
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1. Declan Rice – £105m
After a long saga this summer, Rice joined Arsenal from West Ham for a British record fee of £105m.
The Gunners fought off interest from Manchester City to sign the England international in what was a massive coup for the club.
He is now Arsenal’s most expensive-ever signing and already living up to his price tag.
Rice’s performances in midfield for Arteta’s side have made them look even stronger although they just missed out on the title again..
He will now be aiming to put that right this campaign with the Gunners getting in more reinforcements.
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