Ahead of this Friday’s transfer deadline, the Gunners are in talks to add further additions to Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Arsenal completed the signing of Mikel Merino on Tuesday, with speculation continuing over the potential outgoing of Aaron Ramsdale amongst others.
The Gunners are seeking a deal for Joan Garcia to replace Ramsdale and may consider a move for Wigan Athletic’s Sam Tickle as a third-choice ‘keeper.
Arsenal also continue to be linked with Kingsley Coman, creating a level of excitement for Gunners fans in what could be a frantic deadline day for the club.
It wouldn’t be the first time Arsenal were active late on in the window, however. The club has a storied history with last-minute deals so here are some of the biggest arrivals to the Emirates Stadium on transfer deadline day.
Thomas Partey – £45 million – 2020/21
Starting with the most expensive deal, Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey joined Arsenal in a £45 million move from Atletico Madrid on the 2020 summer deadline day.
The window coincided with Arteta’s first summer in charge of the club and was a significant one in retrospect.
Star centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes had joined earlier in the window from Lille, with the addition of Partey highlighting Arteta’s move to sure up Arsenal’s spine.
Due largely to injuries, Partey has had a stop-start career in North London so far. He managed 24 league appearances in his debut season, which dwindled to 14 last year.
Declan Rice’s arrival, alongside Merino’s this summer, may leave Partey as more of a squad option this season. His signing does represent a significant point of progress in Arteta’s reign though, as the title-challenging squad began to take shape.
Mikel Arteta – £10 million – 2011/12
Speaking of the current boss, Arteta joined Arsenal in a £10 million deadline day deal from Everton in August 2011.
It was a busy day for the Gunners as Arteta was joined through the door by Per Mertesacker and Santos, the Brazilian goalkeeper.
Arteta’s signing was the most expensive and significant though, especially given his current role at the club.
The Spanish midfielder spent five fruitful years at Arsenal as a player and even retired at the club. His highlights were undoubtedly the back-to-back FA Cup’s he won with the team in 2013/14 and 2014/15 respectively.
His reputation in the fanbase was already strong, but his current spell as manager of Arsenal is cementing him as a legend of the club. His deadline day move in 2011 has become more important than the club could’ve ever predicted.
Danny Welbeck – £16 million – 2014/15
Still starting Premier League games in 2024, Danny Welbeck has had a successful career in English football. Joining from Manchester United for £16 million in 2014, Welbeck became one of a collection of strikers attempting to replace the goals of Robin van Persie.
However, like Partey, injuries plagued Welbeck’s time at the Emirates. After a slow first season scoring four goals, the striker suffered two separate knee injuries to effectively miss the 2015/16 season.
His fitness remained an issue until his departure at the end of his contract in 2019. He will be remembered though for haunting his former club United, scoring the winning goal in the 2014/15 FA Cup quarter final to help Arsenal on their way to lifting the trophy.
David Luiz – £8 million – 2019/20
In a truly surprising move, Arsenal swooped to sign Brazilian defender David Luiz from rivals Chelsea on deadline day in 2019. At £8 million, he wasn’t the club’s most expensive signing that day as Kieran Tierney completed his £25 million move from Celtic, but he was certainly the most memorable.
Luiz played 33 times in the league for the Gunners in his debut season, but costly errors in high-profile games soured any of his good performances.
He was sent off against former club Chelsea but Luiz’s most infamous performance was at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City. Subbed on for the injured Pablo Mari, Luiz made an error leading to City’s first goal before conceding a penalty and being sent off in the second half.
All was not lost for the Brazilian however as he helped Arsenal lift the FA Cup in 2020, as the Gunners beat Chelsea in the final.
Mesut Ozil – £42.5 million – 2013/14
Last, but by no means least, is the much-hyped arrival of German playmaker Mesut Özil in the summer of 2013. Hundreds of Arsenal fans gathered at the Emirates as frantic speculation spread about the Real Madrid star, who eventually arrived in a £42.5 million deal.
It remains one of the most iconic deadline day moments, with the deal reportedly finalised with mere minutes left before the deadline.
The talented midfielder would live up to the hype though in what were seven memorable years in the red of Arsenal.
Perhaps his most impressive season was the 2015/16 campaign. Ozil assisted a staggering 19 goals in the Premier League that season, a feat only bettered by Kevin de Bruyne and Gunners icon, Thierry Henry.
Henry heaped praise on the German star following his arrival. Speaking on Sky Sports, the Frenchman said: “I would have loved to play with him. He reminds me in a different way of Robert Pires because he’s the type of guy that if you give the ball to, he’ll give it back to you.”
His Arsenal career may have petered out towards the end, but Ozil remains a beloved figure amongst the majority of fans. He is one of the most gifted footballers of the modern era and his dramatic deadline-day move will always be remembered fondly.
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