Arsenal: Top 5 costliest transfers in the history
Oct 8, 2016 at 11:29 AM
The only team to tag themselves the ‘invincibles’ this century, Arsenal, have been one of the most consistent sides in Europe in recent times. Arsene Wenger, the manager who has stayed in charge of the club for 20 years now, has lifted the club from hardships to being one of the best clubs in Europe at the moment.
The manager has always had an eye for top class talents and has accumulated some of the best players in Europe in his time at the club. However, he has also had to spend big on a few players to add to his squad in his 20 years.
Let’s take a look at 5 such players who the club spent on. Here are Arsenal’s top 5 costliest transfers ever:
- Calum Chambers (€20.23m)
The 21-year old defender joined the Gunners back in 2014 from Southampton has not been able to cement a place in the starting lineup. He was considered one of the best young defenders in the league at that time but Wenger has not been impressed by his returns and has sent him on loan to Middlesbrough this season. He has made just 36 appearances for Arsenal till now and has not been able to justify his price tag from a couple of years ago
- Shkodran Mustafi (€41m)
The German international was one of the biggest stories of the recent summer window. Injuries to Per Mertesacker and Gabriel saw Wenger plunge into the market for additions to his defense and after a lot of delays, the manager finally decided to spend the big money on him. The 24-year old has been excellent in La Liga over the last few years and has already impressed in the 4 outings he has got so far this season. He has now established a top class partnership at the back for the Gunners alongside Laurent Koscielny.
- Alexis Sanchez (€42.5m)
Arguably one of the best players in world football at the moment, Sanchez, moved to Arsenal from Barcelona back in 2004 for a big money move. Ever since, the Chilean has become an integral part of the squad, playing in different positions for Wenger and helping Arsenal to 5 back to back victories early this season. Wenger did not think twice about spending on Sanchez who has thrived under the Frenchman’s approach to the game, scoring 33 goals in 70 league appearances so far.
- Granit Xhaka (€45m)
Another recent summer signing, Granit Xhaka has solved Arsenal’s midfield problems to a certain extent. He has brought his form to the Premier League from the Bundesliga and has settled into life at the Emirates with relative ease. He is already a regular starter for the side, making 4 appearances for his side and also scoring a couple of goals in all competitions. At his price, he may look a bit expensive but in the inflated market, he is now looking like a world class buy from Wenger.
- Mesut Ozil (€47m)
Another player at the club that is amongst the best in the world, Mesut Ozil, is Arsenal’s record buy back in 2013. He made a move to the Premier League after making more than 100 appearances in La Liga and is now blossoming into a better player than he ever was. He was the first player that Wenger decided to spend big money on, and there is no doubt that he got a sweet deal at that time. The German international has played 87 games for his side, scoring 17 times and has also broken the record for the number of chances created in a single Premier League season last time around on his way to justifying his price tag.