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Over the years, Arsenal have been renowned for buying raw talents for a bargain and developing them into world-class players. Arsenal have seldom splurged in transfer windows and often make signings after meticulous scouting.
The signings of Thierry Henry from Juventus for £11 million, Dennis Bergkamp from Inter Milan for £7.5 million,and Patrick Vieira from AC Milan for £3.5 million are some notable examples in this regard.
Top five players whose careers floundered after arriving at Arsenal
In recent times, Arsenal have signed a few players who failed to cope with the pace and physicality of the Premier League, though. These players joined the north London club with a weight of expectation on their shoulders but failed to live up to their hype.
They suffered from massive dips in confidence and were never able to rejuvenate their careers even after securing moves away from Arsenal. On that note, let's take a look at five such players whose careers went downhill after joining Arsenal.
#5 Shkodran Mustafi
Arsenal fans were thrilled when the club signed Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia for £35 million in 2016.
After years of defensive woes, the Gunners finally spent big to sign a top-quality defender. Mustafi was a prominent player for Germany in their victorious 2014 FIFA World Cup-winning team. He was also one of the best defenders in La Liga during his two seasons at Valencia.
Shkodran Mustafi made 159 appearances in all competitions during his four-and-a-half season stint at Arsenal, But he was often criticised for his rash decision making and inconsistent performances.
Eventually, both parties agreed to mutually terminate their association in February. Mustafi joined Schalke, who got relegated from the Bundesliga last week.
#4 Mathieu Debuchy
Mathieu Debuchy enjoyed a scintillating campaign with Newcastle United in 2013-14 before he made a move to Arsenal.
Debuchy had evolved into one of the best right-backs in the Premier League prior to his arrival in North London; he was also a regular for France.
Arsenal signed Debuchy to provide competition to Hector Bellerin and to add some much-needed experience to their backline. The right-back, though, made just 30 appearances in all competitions during his four seasons at the club.
Mathieu Debuchy spent the 2015-16 season on loan at Bordeaux, who didn't exercise the option to sign him permanently at the end of his loan spell. The Frenchman subsequently joined Ligue 1 club St. Etienne on a free transfer two years later.
#3 Denilson
Denilson's signing was one that shocked a lot of Arsenal fans. The Brazilian midfielder was an unknown entity when he arrived at north London. Arsene Wenger famously described Denilson as 'a little bit in between Tomaš Rosicky and Gilberto".
Denilson, though, had a strong start to life at Arsenal. He peaked during the 2008-09 season, becoming a key player for the team as he made 51 appearances in all competitions that campaign.
However, the emergence of the likes of Jack Wilshere, Samir Nasri and Alex Song saw Denilson fall down the pecking order. The Brazilian was eventually loaned out to Sao Paulo before he joined them on a free transfer in 2013.
Denilson's career failed to take off after he left Arsenal, though. He is currently plying his trade at Maltese Premier League side Sliema Wanderers.
#2 Marouane Chamakh
Arsenal signed Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer in the summer of 2010. But the Moroccan striker was never able to cope with the demands of the Premier League, as he managed to score just 11 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions in his first campaign with the club.
Chamakh followed that up with only three goals in his next one-and-a-half years at Arsenal before he was loaned out to West Ham. But the Moroccan failed to rejuvenate his career with the Hammers and was sold to Crystal Palace in 2013.
Marouane Chamakh spent three seasons at Crystal Palace but scored only ten goals in 66 appearances before calling time on his career while at Cardiff City.
#1 Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil's inclusion in this list is likely to surprise a few. That's because the German enjoyed a fairly decent campaign at the club before falling out of favour later on.
Ozil was signed by Arsenal in 2013 from Real Madrid for £42.5 million, a then club-record fee. He was one of the world's best attacking midfielders during his time at Real Madrid. Ozil had formed a formidable partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo during his time at the Spanish giants.
After arriving in north London, Mesut Ozil won three FA Cup titles and helped end Arsenal's nine-year trophy drought. He also provided 19 assists in a Premier League season, the second-most of all time.
However, despite showing glimpses of his brilliance, Ozil was highly inconsistent during his seven-season stint with the Gunners.
The German was often criticised for his lack of physicality, work rate and general inability to come to the fore against the top teams.
Ozil's time at Arsenal came to a bitter end as he was frozen out of the first team by Mikel Arteta during his last six months with the club.
