MESUT OZIL – REAL MADRID TO ARSENAL, £42 million (SUMMER 2013)
One of the few times in recent years Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been willing to spend big to secure his man; Arsenal fans certainly weren’t complaining about the lack of transfer activity when their club splashed the cash on Mesut Ozil.
Joining from Real Madrid for a club record fee of almost £42.5 million, Ozil joined Arsenal just 18 months after having played an instrumental role in helping Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid score 121 league goals en route to their 32nd title.
Making the move to Arsenal still aged just 24, and at the absolute peak of his powers, Ozil’s transfer from Real Madrid was seen as such a surprise that even Real Madrid and Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo questioned the logic of the deal.
Since making the switch, Ozil has made 117 appearances in all competitions, scoring 20 goals – including 15 in the league – and racked up a notoriously impressive assists record. Still regarded as one of the world’s best midfielders, and one of the best players in the Premier League.