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Aubameyang has been reborn in 2023-24.

Where are they now? Arsenal’s 10 most expensive January signings

Ben Stewart •

Arsenal have managed to strike some bargain deals in the January transfer window over the years and we’ve checked in on their 10 most expensive winter deals.

The Gunners could do with some reinforcements this January as Mikel Arteta’s side look to push for the title in the second half of the season.

This transfer window can be a difficult one to navigate though and we’ve checked out where Arsenal’s 10 most expensive January signings are today.

Note: all transfer figures used have been gathered from Transfermarkt.

10. Theo Walcott – £9million

Walcott spent his best years at Arsenal and enjoyed plenty of memorable moments along the way. He managed to win four trophies with the club and boasted an impressive record of 108 goals in 397 appearances.

Following stints with Everton and Southampton, Walcott took the decision to retire from professional football last year, despite having some offers on the table.

“I’ve had offers abroad and from some very good Championship teams. There’s been some Saudi offers but it’s not where I see myself playing, to be honest,” Walcott told The Overlap.

He’s since made his punditry debut for Sky Sports and has expressed a desire to become an academy coach in the future.

9. Jorginho – £9.8million

Since making the switch from Chelsea to Arsenal last January, Jorginho has predominately been used as a squad player. His contract in north London expires at the end of the season and it seems more than likely that he will move on then.

“I’m very much in doubt, I would like to return but I don’t know when the right time would be,” Jorginho said on a potential return to Italy. “I want to return yes, but I don’t know when, I feel I still have things to do at Arsenal.”

8. Mohamed Elneny – £10.8million

The Egyptian midfielder has faded into the background at the Emirates in recent years. A knee injury kept him sidelined for the majority of 2023 and he’s not had much action of late as a result.

Mikel Arteta clearly values having the 31-year-old around the camp as Arsenal were quick to hand him a contract extension last year, despite the fact he was injured.

“It was one of the happiest days in my life,” Elneny said in an interview with the Standard after being offered a fresh contract. “The way they spoke to me, the way the entire club was happy about this decision, they made me cry this day.

“Arsenal football club, they know I love them 100 per cent, so much. They know I don’t want to leave. I want to stay and finish my career there, 100 per cent.”

7. Gabriel Paulista – £13million

The Gunners paid around £13million to prize Gabriel away from Villarreal in January 2015. He went on to spend three years with the club and managed to get his hands on three trophies, including two FA Cups.

Gabriel departed in the summer of 2017 in search of regular first team football and he’s had exactly that at Valencia. The 33-year-old is still going strong in La Liga today and has over 200 appearances under his belt at the Mestalla Stadium.

6. Andrey Arshavin – £14.3million

The Russian winger was unplayable on his day and that iconic performance under the Anfield floodlights will forever be iconic.

He spent his final playing days ripping things up in Kazakhstan before announcing his retirement in 2018. During his post football career, Arshavin has taken up several ambassadorial roles and currently works on the executive board at Zenit.

5. Jose Antonio Reyes – £17.3million

The Spanish winger arrived midway through Arsenal’s historic 2003-04 campaign and it didn’t take him long to make an impact.

Reyes will fondly be remembered for his brace against Chelsea in the FA Cup and his strikes against Portsmouth and Fulham which helped Arsenal get over the line unbeaten.

He played out his final playing days in his native country of Spain before his untimely death in 2019.

4. Leandro Trossard – £20.8million

The Belgian winger has done a decent job when called upon, although he has found himself firmly behind Gabriel Martinelli in the pecking order since his arrival.

Trossard has played just over 1000 minutes of football since joining from Brighton last January and he’s managed to produce eight goal contributions in that time which isn’t too shabby.

3. Jakub Kiwior – £21.6million

The Poland international hasn’t pulled up many trees since his arrival from Spezia last January. In total, Kiwior has been handed nine starts in the league and he did struggle in his latest outing against Fulham.

The 23-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Emirates this month, although it remains to be seen if Arsenal would be prepared to sell him at this stage.

2. Henrikh Mkhitaryan – £29.4million

The attacking midfielder joined Arsenal as part of a deal which saw Alexis Sanchez moving in the opposite direction. Arsenal definitely got the better end of the deal in the end as Mkhitaryan was a solid enough performer during his year-and-a-half stay.

Aged 34, the Armenian midfielder is still playing at the highest level and now happens to play alongside Sanchez at Inter Milan.

1. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – £55.1million

His exit from Arsenal was pretty frosty, but Aubameyang managed to deliver the goods more often than not during his stay in north London.

He captained the club to the FA Cup in 2019–20 and managed to bag an impressive 92 goals in just 163 appearances for the Gunners.

The less said about his Chelsea stint the better, but Aubameyang has got his groove back of late for Marseille. He’s already scored 12 goals across all competitions in 2023-24 which is more than any Arsenal player has managed this season.

READ NEXT: The 11 players who made an Arsenal debut in the same year as Jack Wilshere

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every Premier League club’s record departure?

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