10 most expensive transfers in Arsenal history

#8 Shkodran Mustafi (£36.9 million)

Mustafi did not deliver at Arsenal

Arsenal are known for their ill-advised endeavours in the transfer market but their decision to bring Shkodran Mustafi to London arguably takes the cake. The German World Cup winner was rated highly by several clubs in Europe a few years ago and Arsenal decided to pay a sizeable transfer fee to avail the defender's services.

Mustafi had an excellent start to life at Arsenal and was an important part of the squad after his arrival. The German centre-back's stint at the club gradually began to fall off the rails, however, with Arsenal's fortunes suffering as a result.

The former Valencia centre-back made several individual errors during his time at the club and was not particularly a fan favourite in his last season. Arsenal eventually decided to part ways with Mustafi and were unable to recover the defender's transfer fee.

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#7 Alexis Sanchez (£38.25 million)

Alexis Sanchez did not meet expectations at Arsenal

Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger was famous for his shrewd approach to the transfer window and the decision to shell out in excess of £38 million for Chilean star Alexis Sanchez was a departure from the norm for the French manager. Arsenal were in need of a talismanic forward at the moment and Alexis Sanchez seemed to be the ideal fit.

Alexis Sanchez was a force to reckon with under Arsene Wenger in his first season at the club and scored an impressive 72 goals in his first three seasons at the club. The former Barcelona winger endured a shocking slump in his fourth season, however, and fell out of favour with Arsenal's management.

Sanchez ended his Arsenal career on an unfortunate low and secured a switch to Premier League rivals Manchester United in 2018. The South American superstar currently plays for Inter Milan and has struggled to revive his fortunes in Europe.

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#6 Granit Xhaka (£40.5 million)

Xhaka has had an eventful stint at Arsenal

Granit Xhaka's transfer was a result of Arsenal's spending spree towards the end of Arsene Wenger's reign and it is safe to say that the Swiss star is yet to justify his price tag. Xhaka does have the ability to become an excellent midfielder in the Premier League but has often been let down by his temperament in the past.

The former FC Basel prodigy has had his moments at Arsenal and is capable of scoring the occasional wonder-goal. Granit Xhaka was given Arsenal's captaincy but an infamous incident with the Gunners' fans brought his reign to an end.

🔍 Partey and Xhaka helped create pockets of space for Odegaard 🔍 Hosts used long balls to progress over Tottenham's defence🔍 Spurs lacked runners in behind🆕 Tactical analysis of yesterday's derby between Arsenal and Tottenham 🔴 #ARSTOT ⚪👉 https://t.co/cXKn0ifBCk pic.twitter.com/TdtF99SGCS

— The Coaches' Voice (@CoachesVoice) March 15, 2021

Granit Xhaka has remained a part of Mikel Arteta's plans this season and will have to work hard to keep his place in the side. The Arsenal midfielder has managed one goal and two assists this season and has a long way to go to redeem himself in the eyes of one of London's most passionate fanbases.

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#5 Mesut Ozil (£42.3 million)

Mesut Ozil's Arsenal career was full of highs and lows

Mesut Ozil was one of the world's best midfielders when he joined Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side. The German World Cup winner had an excellent first season at the club and guided the Gunners to yet another top-four finish in 2014.

Ozil was an exceptional playmaker and produced sensational moments of brilliance at Arsenal. As is the case with most creative maestros in the beautiful game, however, the German midfielder's work-rate left much to be desired and drew some criticism from pundits and sections of the Arsenal fanbase.

👀🤔https://t.co/jBlgmVQxSj

— Arsenal FC News (@ArsenalFC_fl) March 12, 2021

The former Real Madrid midfielder's star began to fade after Arsene Wenger's departure and subsequent rifts with Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta eventually led to his departure. Ozil continues to occupy a special place in Arsenal's footballing folklore, however, and is arguably one of the most talented players to have worn the club's shirt in the present era.

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