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With the signing of Thomas Partey, Arsenal once again left it late in the transfer window to sign one of their targets. Over the years, a number of players have arrived at the Emirates on deadline day. After initial failures, the last couple of seasons have seen some of Arsenal's best players coming on the final day of the transfer window.
Here are the five best players to arrive at Arsenal on deadline day.
Top 5 Deadline Day additions made by Arsenal
#5 Nacho Monreal - Malaga to Arsenal, 2013
There wasn't a whiff of Arsenal any transfers happening at Emirates going into the last week of the 2013 winter transfer window. Arsene Wenger, who has been a staunch voice against the January window, had been comfortable with his team after the additions of Cazorla, Podolski, and Giroud in the summer. But the situation changed drastically following an injury to Kieran Gibbs.
The England international had just established himself as Arsenal's first-choice left-back following Gael Clichy's move to Manchester City. But, a thigh injury ruled him out for a couple of weeks, a day before the end of the deadline. It left the Gunners with just the underperforming and error-prone Andre Santos as a backup.
The Gunners were swift in the next couple of hours. They pulled out yet another typical Arsene Wenger signing in just a day, signing Nacho Monreal from Malaga for just under £9 million. The Spaniard had been a consistent performer in La Liga during the last couple of seasons.
Once again, Arsene Wenger proved his guile in the transfer window. Nacho Monreal went on to spend eight seasons in London, making 251 appearances and scoring 10 goals. The Spaniard went on to play two Europa League finals and win two FA Cups during this period.
#4 Mikael Arteta - Everton to Arsenal, 2011
It was a crazy summer for the Gunners in 2011, as Arsenal lost Gael Clichy, Samir Nasir, and Cesc Fabregas. Needing immediate additions, Arsenal brought in four players in the last two days of the transfer window, Mikel Arteta being one among them.
At that time, the Spaniard was an established Premier League midfielder for Everton. Arteta had been at Everton for eight seasons and was arguably their best player. Following the Toffees' seventh-place finish, the Spaniard was uneasy about his future. Arsenal's interest resulted in Spaniard submitting a transfer request and moving to Emirates for a transfer fee of around £10 million.
Arteta proved to be a significant signing in the club's history. The Spaniard captained the Gunners to FA Cup in 2014, their first cup success in eight years. He repeated the feat a year later and finished his career at Arsenal in 2016. The Spaniard made 150 appearances and scored 16 goals, and became the Arsenal captain in his last two seasons.
The Spaniard is once again back at the club, rebuilding the team. As his playing career, Arteta started his Gunners managerial career with their first trophy, the 2020 FA Cup, post the Wenger era.
#3 Pierre Emerick Aubameyang - Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal, 2018
It was yet again another season where Arsenal lost one of their superstars to a rival. Alexis Sanchez completed a swap deal to Manchester United with Henrikh Mkhitaryan going the other way. The Chilean was Arsenal's primary goalscorer in the past couple of seasons, and they needed a replacement for him.
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang sprang up as a potential replacement. The Gabonese international had been one of the most consistent goalscorers in the Bundesliga. Despite having a reputation of being a bit troublesome, the striker was always worth taking a risk on. True to his nature, Aubameyang started missing practice sessions and handing out a transfer request at Dortmund, following Arsenal's interest.
And as fate may have it, one of the most vocal critics of the January transfer window, Arsene Wenger, made his most expensive and last signing in the transfer window. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Arsenal for around £56 million, one of the highest-ever paid during the winter transfer break.
The striker has hardly put a foot wrong since the move. Aubameyang has been Gunners' main goal threat since his arrival. He became the captain of the club last season and led Arsenal to their first trophy during the post-Wenger era. In two and half seasons, the striker has scored 72 goals in just 114 appearances.
#2 Per Mertesacker - Werder Bremen to Arsenal, 2011
Mertesacker is another player who arrived at Arsenal during the crazy 2011 deadline day summer window. The Gunners needed defensive recruitments in 2011, as many of their star names had moved out or had injuries.
The defensive issues once again became apparent following an 8-2 mauling by Manchester United, forcing the Gunners to act. Wenger's shrewd business tricks once again triumphed as they signed Per Mertesacker from Werder Bremen for around £8 million.
The German was arguably Arsenal's best defender in the last decade. He spent seven seasons at Emirates and was part of three FA Cup-winning teams, captaining the last one in 2017. During this period, the German made 221 appearances. Mertesacker goes down as one of the greatest defenders to play for Arsenal.
#1 Mesut Ozil - Real Madrid to Arsenal, 2010
Ozil to Arsenal was one of the most surprising transfers in the last decade. The German had just finished his best-ever season with 29 assists. Everyone, including the player, expected Real Madrid to keep their German midfielder. He even played two league matches for Los Blancos before the situation changed dramatically. Ozil became available, and Arsenal signed him for £42.5 million - the highest for German footballers at that time. Despite several Real Madrid stars speaking out against his sale, Madrid sold him.
Mesut Ozil was a revelation at Arsenal. He was their best player in his debut season and arguably one of the best in the last decade. Despite the presence of several creative midfielders, Ozil established himself as the best playmaker in the league. The German blossomed under Arsene Wenger and made around 70 assists in all competitions in his first five seasons.
But, it has been tough going for Ozil following the retirement of the legendary manager. The arrival of Arteta has seen limited time for the German. Ozil was a treat to watch when playing. He has made 254 appearances and scored 44 so far since joining the club in 2013.
