Here's a look at the 10 most expensive Arsenal signings of all time, with some of the league's current leaders starting. In total, he scored 71 goals in 206 games for Arsenal before returning to Lyon on a free transfer when his contract ran out. Still, he scored an impressive 92 goals in 163 games for Arsenal. For 72 million pounds you could expect a world champion, which Nicolas Pepe was not.
The only player for whom Arsenal paid the most money is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Signing Bergkamp today would cost Arsenal 117.3 million pounds. For a player who would change the entire perception of the club over 11 years and 423 games, it's no surprise that it easily remains his record signing, considering inflation. Nwankwo Kanu will always be remembered for leading Arsenal's line during one of the club's most prolific title periods, although not always as the most outstanding forward in his ranks.
Lauren, a kind of Emmanuel Eboue figure before Arsenal fans met Eboue, became one of the most versatile and willing assets available to the club during its career for the Invincibles. Fifteen years at any club is impressive; 15 years at a club of Arsenal's caliber are nothing short of outstanding. Their spending over the past decade has given the image of a miserable club, but the truth is that the Gunners have managed to remain one of the richest clubs in the world, even during a period of reconstruction. The moment when he broke Cliff Bastin's record of 178 goals and became the club's all-time top scorer in September 1997 will always be remembered in the holy halls of the Emirates, demonstrating that, while venues may come and go, the history of a club can never be erased, nor that of an individual.
Any forward who reaches double digits in four consecutive seasons, as he did in his first four seasons with Arsenal, is an advantage for his team, but Lacazette failed to lead Arsenal to the Champions League. That is, of course, if you call it getting the most out of signing a player who had lost his form before turning him into one of the most devastating strikers in football history, who to this day remains Arsenal's top scorer. Like so many others, the midfielder's career at Arsenal would end when an apparently better opportunity presented himself, this time with his return to his childhood club, Barça, but there were many positive aspects worth mentioning during the midfielder's career in the Emirates. One of the many French investments that Wenger opted for, Gael Clichy's eight years at Arsenal, sadly coincided too much with the start of the club's infamous trophy drought.
As one of the most respected clubs among Europe's big hitters, Arsenal has continued to be part of the continental elite thanks to the good use of the transfer market over the past 30 years. Probably the best player to have dared to play for both North London clubs throughout his career, Sol Campbell's Arsenal career differed mainly in trophy counting compared to his tenure at White Hart Lane. With 185 goals in 288 games for the Gunners, Wright burst onto the scene at Arsenal after having impressed at Crystal Palace, and has always been considered one of the most adored and enthusiastic characters in the club's history. Marc Overmars, an example of the fruitful relationship that Arsenal has maintained with Dutch football over the years, is another example of a player whose impact on the Premier League could have been much greater if it hadn't been for Arsenal's sensible transfer model.
