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Saturday, January 18, 2025

Arsenal’s 5 best January signings of all time


Arsenal have often had the pulling power to recruit the world’s most talented and promising footballers, but most of their most notable signings they have come during the summer window.

The Gunners have never been particularly prolific spenders in January and their track record in the winter market is mixed. A few failures have traveled north London at the start of the new year, but there have been a number of remarkable and transformative success stories.

Let’s take a look arsenalThe best January signings since the window was first implemented in the 2002/03 campaign.

Nacho Monreal

Nacho Monreal was a firm fan favorite / Boris Streubel / GettyImages

Although far from Arsenal’s most glamorous addition Premier League era, few have worked harder in a red shirt than Nacho Monreal. Arriving for £8.5m from Malaga in 2013, he spent six-and-a-half years with the Gunners, making more than 250 appearances and winning three FA Cups.

The left-back was a tireless servant during a difficult period for the club, wearing his heart on his sleeve and making more than 35 appearances in each of his full seasons. He even managed a goal-laden campaign in 2017/18, producing six in all competitions.

He left the Emirates as a firm fan favorite, although he will not be competing for a starting place in Arsenal’s all-time XI.

Emmanuel Adebayor

Emmanuel Adebayor performed well for Arsenal / Shaun Botterill / GettyImages

Emmanuel Adebayor and Arsenal did not end on good terms. After leaving North London for Manchester City in 2009, he burned bridges with the club and its supporters by producing this celebration in a meeting between the two parties shortly after his departure.

Running the length of the pitch and sliding his knee in front of Arsenal’s roving supporters was unlikely to endear him to his former supporters, but the Togo international was still an undeniably impressive signing when he joined the Gunners in 2006 .

He scored four Premier League goals in his first half-season in the capital and went on to double that number the following campaign. However, it was during 2007/08 that he caught the eye, scoring 24 times in the league in 36 outings.

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Theo Walcott was an excellent stalwart for Arsenal / IAN KINGTON / GettyImages

Theo Walcott gave Arsenal 12 years of reliable and committed service, carving his name into the club’s history books following his move to north London from Southampton in 2006. It didn’t take long for him to become the day, as he was signed at only 16 years old. old, though he never lived up to the high standards expected of him.

The speedy winger ended up playing 382 games for Arsenal, scoring 106 goals for the club, with his most prolific campaign coming in 2012/13. He scored 21 times and produced 11 assists in all competitions, bettering a total of 23 from the previous season.

Although silverware didn’t come too close during his Arsenal career, Walcott claimed the FA Cup on two separate occasions, even scoring in the 2014/15 final during a 4-0 win over Aston Villa.

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The prolific Arsenal striker was a winter signing / BEN STANSALL/GettyImages

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang became Arsenal’s record signing in 2017/18, joining the club for £56m. Naturally, expectations were very high for the former Borussia Dortmund livewire, who had become famous for his ruthlessness in front of goal and his devastating speed.

Those traits quickly became visible at the Emirates as he provided 14 goals and assists in as many games in his first six months. The Gabonese international bettered that number by some margin the following season, claiming the Premier League’s Golden Boot with 22 strikes.

The goals didn’t run out in the following campaigns and a timely brace in the 2019/20 FA Cup final against Chelsea secured Arsenal’s latest piece of silverware.

A falling out with Mikel Arteta brought his Arsenal career to a somewhat premature end, but he remains one of the club’s most devastating big men today.

Martin Odegaard

Martin Odegaard has joined Arsenal on loan in January

This one comes with a little asterisk. Arsenal signed Martin Odegaard on a permanent basis in the summer window, but he had initially joined the club on a six-month loan in January 2021.

Having been groomed for superstardom at an incredibly young age, Odegaard’s potential was not enough to secure him regular first-team football in Real Madrid despite several impressive loan periods. A temporary move to the Emirates saw him raise his game and the Spanish giants were happy to sanction a £30m deal.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Odegaard has become a transformative figure in Arsenal’s engine room, leading the club’s revolution under Arteta. Now captaining the side, his wit, creativity and magical left foot have pushed the Gunners to the cusp of greatness.

The 26-year-old has plenty of time to further embellish his Arsenal legacy.

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