Arsenal are traditionally shy to target big moves in January transfer windows but the Gunners have struck gold before, so here are their top-five winter signings of all time.
The Emirates Stadium outfit often look to the winter window with a reluctance to spend top dollar. But despite their steady reluctance, Arsenal have broken their transfer records in past Januarys. Arsene Wenger and Mikel Arteta have also loved the results of mid-season moves.
Guillaume Warmuz was the first player Arsenal signed in a January market after the Premier League introduced the two-window transfer format in 2002/03. He joined the Gunners from RC Lens on a short-term contract as Wenger sought cover after an injury for Rami Shaaban.
Arsenal’s all-time top signings in the January transfer window
The Premier League agreed to introduce two set transfer windows from the 2002/03 season in a compromise with the European Commission. It regulated when all players could change between teams, yet protecting the footballing economy, having previously had to March 31.
UEFA had already introduced defined transfer windows for its competitions, so Arsenal were used to the summer and January format. The Gunners even secured one of their best winter arrivals in 2004. So, with that in mind, here are Arsenal’s all-time top January signings so far.
5) Jose Antonio Reyes (Sevilla – Arsenal, January 2004)
Arsenal signed Jose Antonio Reyes from his beloved Sevilla in a transfer worth up to £17.5m in January 2004. The winger, aged 20, was among the hottest young prospects in the world. He had also already begun to make a name for himself at Sevilla after joining them aged 10.
Such were Reyes’ mixed feelings that he said, via Arsenal’s website: “I am the happiest man in the world at this moment and, at the same time, the saddest”. Yet it would not take long for Reyes to exhibit why Wenger wanted him alongside Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.
Reyes burst out of the gates to score a 25-yard screamer against Chelsea in an FA Cup fifth-round tie. He even hit a brace to win 2-1 and send Highbury into song signing the forward’s name. Reyes would go on to score 23 and assist 27 goals in 110 games for Arsenal to 2007.
Among his efforts under Wenger included a crucial equaliser at Portsmouth to help secure their 2003/04 Invincibles season. Reyes also started the 2004/05 season with goals in their first six fixtures. He also won the 2005 FA Cup and made the 2006 Champions League final.
4) Nacho Monreal (Malaga – Arsenal, January 2013)
Arsenal paid Malaga £10m to sign Nacho Monreal in January 2013 as Wenger sought to land a complete, ball-playing wing-back. Andre Santos was also the Gunners’ sole fit left-back as Monreal arrived. A thigh injury for Kieran Gibbs would convince Arsenal to make their move.
Yet while Gibbs’ injury tempted his transfer, Arsenal never came to regret signing Monreal in a last-ditch January move. He arrived in north London at the start of the Spaniard’s prime to be a fan’s favourite. Aaron Ramsey also pipped Monreal for their 2017/18 Player of the Year.
Monreal stayed at Emirates Stadium until August 2019 when he joined Real Sociedad for the final three years of the 22-cap international’s career. He would never represent a team more often than Arsenal, however. The Pamplona native featured in 251 games with the Gunners.
Arsenal had another signing from Malaga to thank for Monreal’s transfer, too. Santi Cazorla helped to convince the defender to join in a deadline day deal after making the move in the previous summer. In return, Arsenal landed a dependable star who also won three FA Cups.
“I don’t know if he got a commission or something,” Monreal joked to The Guardian in 2020. “I woke up one morning to a call from Santi asking me if I wanted to join. Imagine it: I was in shock, only just awake, not really with it. And by that night, I was an Arsenal player.”
3) Theo Walcott (Southampton – Arsenal, January 2006)
January 2006 saw Arsenal pay Southampton £5m, plus £7.5m in add-ons, for Theo Walcott. The forward also left St Mary’s for Highbury as the most expensive 16-year-old in the history of British football then. But Walcott more than exceeded his fee over the following 12 years.
Everton ultimately prised a 28-year-old Walcott away from Arsenal with his £20m transfer in January 2018. He left Emirates Stadium largely underrated, despite producing 108 goals and 80 assists in 397 appearances. The winger had also earned each of his 47 caps for England.
Hype arguably hindered Walcott after going to the 2006 World Cup with England despite not playing a Premier League game. He would, however, go on to play 270 top-flight games with the Gunners. The forward also had 65 goals, including a single-season high of 14 in 2012/23.
The expectations for Walcott that came from Sven-Goran Eriksson taking him to Germany in 2006 meant he always faced an unrealistic ceiling. Yet he arguably had an exceptional career largely on the right wing for his clubs and country. Walcott also won the FA Cup three times.
2) Martin Odegaard (Real Madrid – Arsenal, January 2021)
January 2021 laid the foundations for Arteta’s best signing as the manager of Arsenal when Martin Odegaard joined on loan from Real Madrid. The Norway captain would also agree to a permanent £30m, plus £4m in add-ons, transfer to Emirates Stadium later in August 2021.
Arteta was instrumental to Odegaard agreeing to join Arsenal on loan, in a deal that set the Gunners well for a permanent transfer. The Spaniard was crucial in convincing the Drammen native to leave Los Blancos for a Premier League spell at a time the Gunners were struggling.
“I spoke to Mikel Arteta on a Zoom call and he told me all about the project,” Odegaard told The Players’ Tribune in February 2023. “At the time, Arsenal were not doing well. They were way down, like 15th in the table, but that meeting… Honestly, I challenge anyone to come away from a meeting with Arteta and not believe everything he tells you. He is next level.
“It’s hard to explain. He’s passionate, he’s intense and sometimes, yeah, he’s a bit crazy. But when he speaks, you understand that whatever he says will happen, will happen.”
Odegaard instantly settled in at Arsenal and filled the creativity void created after Mesut Ozil departed north London. He also demonstrated great tactical versatility to move around their midfield. While his leadership skills, as an extension of Arteta, led to their captaincy in 2022.
1) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund – Arsenal, January 2018)
Despite paying Lyon £46.5m for Alexandre Lacazette in July 2017, Arsenal eclipsed their club record again to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January 2018 with a £56m transfer from Borussia Dortmund. Wenger finally signed his target after BVB rejected their first two offers.
Aubameyang arrived at Emirates Stadium and took over the No14 shirt on deadline day with the Gunners sixth in the Premier League. He would end the 2017/18 campaign with 10 goals in just 13 games, as well. The Gabon striker even scored 22 goals in his first two full seasons.
Through his first 100 Premier League appearances, in fact, Aubameyang struck 57 goals and 13 assists. He even assumed Arsenal’s captaincy in November 2019 after Unai Emery took it off Granit Xhaka. Arteta would later strip Aubameyang of their armband in December 2021.
His Arsenal career ended on a sour note in January 2022 when they spent £7m to terminate Aubameyang’s £350k-a-week contract. Arteta felt it was best to part ways after Arsenal took issue with his ‘latest disciplinary breach’ that saw him shunned beyond December 12, 2021.
Yet despite how Aubameyang’s Arsenal career ended, he left having made a huge impact at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners won the 2020 FA Cup largely in part for his work in the final against Chelsea. He lit up Wembley with two goals in a magical performance for a 2-1 win.
Aubameyang was too hot for Chelsea to handle at the first behind-closed-doors FA Cup final in 2020. He turned Kurt Zouma inside out inside the box before scooping his shot over Willy Caballero. Chris Sutton even told BBC Radio 5: “Aubameyang would cost zillions to replace.”