Arsenal's 25 most expensive transfers of all time

16 Sept 2026 16:38 BST |
14 min read

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Arsenal have emerged as the main force in English football after years of careful squad building under Mikel Arteta, the architect of their recent success.

The Spaniard has built a powerful team that won the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final in an incredible 2025-26 campaign.

While Arsenal have been shrewd in the transfer market under Arteta, they have still coughed up sizeable fees in order to land the players they want.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 25 most expensive signings in Arsenal’s history.

25. Fabio Vieira – €35m (from Porto, 2022

Though a skilful player, Fabio Vieira was never going to be fast or strong enough for the hustle and bustle of the Premier League.

After making just 49 appearances for Arsenal, the Portuguese attacking midfielder was sold to Bundesliga side Hamburg in the summer of 2026.

24. Oleksandr Zinchenko – €35m (from Man City, 2022)

Arteta reunited with Oleksandr Zinchenko at Arsenal in the summer of 2022, with the pair having worked together at Manchester City in the past.

The versatile Ukraine star was a key player in his first season at the Emirates Stadium, but he soon fell out of favour and joined Ajax on a permanent basis in February 2026.

23. Martin Odegaard – €35m (from Real Madrid, 2021)

Martin Odegaard has found a place to call home at Arsenal after his career stagnated at Real Madrid.

The Norway international wrote his name into the Gunners history books after captaining them to their first Premier League title for 22 years in 2025-26.

22. Christos Tzolis – €40m (from Club Brugge, 2026)

After scoring for fun in Belgium, Christos Tzolis was snapped up by Arsenal in the summer of 2026, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal.

The Greece international enjoyed a dream debut for his new club, recording two assists in the 3-0 win over Manchester City in the 2026 Community Shield final.

21. Jurrien Timber – €40m (from Ajax, 2023)

One of Arteta’s best signings as Arsenal manager, Jurrien Timber has become one of the top right-backs in world football under the Spaniard.

The Netherlands international has bounced back tremendously considering his first season was ruined by a cruel anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

20. Piero Hincapie – €40m (from Bayer Leverkusen, 2026)

After helping Arsenal win the Premier League title in 2025-26, Piero Hincapie turned his loan move into a permanent transfer from Bayer Leverkusen.

The rock-solid Ecuador international is a handy option for Arteta, such is his ability to be able to play as a left-back and a centre-back.

19. Shkodran Mustafi – €41m (from Valencia, 2016)

Having struggled to prove his worth at Everton, Sampdoria and Valencia, it certainly seemed odd when Arsenal decided to take a punt on Shkodran Mustafi.

What was even more bizarre was the fact that the Gunners spared no expense for the Germany international, shelling out €41m to sign him.

The same lapses in concentration that plagued his time in Italy and Spain reared their ugly head in north London, leading to his exit in February 2021.

18. Alexis Sanchez – €42.5m (from Barcelona, 2014)

Arsenal were desperate to sign Luis Suarez from Liverpool in 2014, but they ended up purchasing Alexis Sanchez instead after the Uruguay striker joined Barcelona.

After playing second fiddle to Lionel Messi at Barcelona, Sanchez flourished when awarded more responsibility by then-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

Such was Sanchez’s form at Arsenal that he was named their Player of the Year in 2015 and 2017 before leaving under a cloud when joining Manchester United in January 2018.

17. Riccardo Calafiori – €43.7m (from Bologna, 2024)

Another big splurge on a full-back, Arsenal broke the bank to sign Riccardo Calafiori in July 2024 after he established himself as one of the best defenders in Serie A.

And the Italy international has managed to do the same thing in England, boasting a complete game which makes him a force to be reckoned with in both boxes.

16. Granit Xhaka – €45m (from Borussia Monchengladbach, 2016)

Towards the end of Wenger’s time as Arsenal manager, he made a number of signings from the Bundesliga – and Granit Xhaka was one of them.

The Switzerland international, who also played under Unai Emery and Arteta in north London, won two FA Cups with the Gunners and also served as club captain.

15. Mesut Ozil – €47m (from Real Madrid, 2013)

A signing that made Arsenal fans purr with excitement.

After years of penny-pinching in the transfer market while the club built the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners finally loosened the purse strings when signing Mesut Ozil.

In 184 Premier League games, Germany star Ozil recorded 33 goals and 57 assists for Arsenal and won three FA Cups between 2014 and 2017.

14. Thomas Partey – €50m (from Atletico Madrid, 2020)

Desperate for more steel in midfield, Arsenal spent big on Thomas Partey in October 2020.

Partey made 167 appearances for the Gunners, winning the 2023 Community Shield.

13. Gabriel Jesus – €52m (from Man City, 2022)

Unable to nail down a starting berth at Man City due to the presence of Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus joined Arsenal in the summer of 2022.

Another player who Arteta had previously worked with at City, Jesus scored 32 goals in 123 games and was part of the Arsenal side that won the Premier League in 2025-26.

12. Alexandre Lacazette – €53m (from Lyon, 2017)

Alexandre Lacazette had a decent five-year spell at the Emirates Stadium, but he failed to reach the elite level that Arsenal really needed.

Any forward that achieves double figures for goals in four consecutive seasons – as he did with Arsenal – deserves credit, however.

11. Noni Madueke – €56m (from Chelsea, 2025)

Noni Madueke was a controversial signing in the summer of 2025 as the England international joined Arsenal from London rivals Chelsea on a five-year deal.

Underwhelming statistics at Chelsea led to protests over the arrival of Madueke, with Arsenal supporters even starting a petition asking the club not to sign him.

However, Arsenal decided to go through with the deal and Madueke provided useful cover for Bukayo Saka, who endured an injury-plagued 2025-26 season.

10. Ben White – €58.5m (from Brighton, 2021)

While the signing of Ben White was generally viewed as a positive one after he caught the eye at Brighton and Hove Albion, some criticised the size of the fee involved.

However, White excelled for the Gunners in 2022-23 and 2023-24 after Arteta transformed him from a ball-playing centre-back into a robust, marauding right-back.

9. Ezri Konsa – €59.6m (from Aston Villa, 2026)

With William Saliba ruled out for a significant period of time with a back injury, Arsenal reinforced their defensive options by signing Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa.

The England international was quick to endear himself to Gunners fans with crunching-yet-fair challenge on Morgan Rogers in a 2-1 Premier League win over Chelsea.

8. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – €63.75m (from Borussia Dortmund, 2018)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made a seamless transition from Germany to England, scoring 10 goals in his first 13 Premier League games for Arsenal.

The Gabon striker continued to sparkle for the Gunners, particularly in 2019-20, scoring 29 goals including a brace in the FA Cup final victory over Chelsea.

However, the disciplinary issues which plagued Aubameyang at Dortmund resurfaced at Arsenal, leading his departure in February 2022.

7. Viktor Gyokeres – €66.9m (from Sporting CP, 2025)

After three consecutive runners-up finishes in the Premier League between 2023 and 2025, it was clear that Arsenal needed a new, prolific centre-forward.

And after much deliberation, Viktor Gyokeres was chosen as the preferred option, having plundered a ridiculous 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting CP.

After a difficult start, Gyokeres went on to score 21 goals in 55 games as Arsenal won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final in 2025-26.

6. Eberechi Eze – €69.3m (from Crystal Palace, 2025)

After Havertz sustained an injury in the summer of 2025, Arsenal gazumped north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.

And Eze and Arsenal would rub more salt in the wounds of their biggest foes, with the midfielder scoring a hat-trick against Spurs in November 2025.

5. Martin Zubimendi – €70m (from Real Sociedad, 2025)

After turning down Liverpool in the summer of 2024, Martin Zubimendi finally moved to England when joining Arsenal 12 months later.

And the Spain star got his hands on the Premier League title with the Gunners, having built a solid partnership with Declan Rice in the early stages of the 2025-26 season.

4. Kai Havertz – €75m (from Chelsea, 2023)

Frustrated at being shoehorned into various positions at Chelsea, Havertz looked to correct the problem by joining Arsenal in the summer of 2023.

And the Germany international has managed to do just that, becoming a dependable number nine for the Gunners, especially in big games.

3. Nicolas Pepe – €80m (from Lille, 2019)

For €80m you would expect to sign a world-beater, which Nicolas Pepe certainly wasn’t.

While Pepe had lit up Ligue 1 for Lille, the fee always looked too big for a forward who ended up scoring just 27 goals in 112 games for Arsenal.

2. Bruno Guimaraes – €87.5m (from Newcastle United, 2026)

There was plenty of smoke and mirrors as the deal was being negotiated, but Arsenal and Newcastle United eventually reached an agreement over the transfer of Bruno Guimaraes.

The Brazil international’s first big moment in an Arsenal shirt came in the 2-0 win at Sunderland in September 2026, netting a second-half screamer against his old rivals.

1. Declan Rice – €116.6m (from West Ham, 2023)

After establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League at West Ham United, Rice was wanted by both Arsenal and Man City in the summer of 2023.

Arsenal emerged victorious in the transfer tug-of-war, capturing the England international for a club-record fee that has been worth every single penny.

Known for his incredible ability to charge through midfield with the ball, Rice was instrumental in Arsenal winning the Premier League in 2025-26.

No wonder Arsenal fans chant ‘Declan Rice, we got him half price…’

Arsenal’s most expensive signings of all time

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