Arsenal's greatest ever deadline day signings

Mesut Ozil, 32, playing for Arsenal prior to his move to Fenerbahce 

Arsenal's greatest ever deadline day signings  

Arsenal have an enviable record in the transfer market. 

Yes, there have been disasters; however, Gervinho, Marouane Chamakh, and all the players signed in 2011 distract from a remarkable history of identifying top-level talent at a very affordable price. 

For much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Arsenal's recruitment was the envy of European football, and even as his powers as a tactician started to fade, Arsene Wenger still identified gem after gem.

Even following his departure, Arsenal have still proven capable of pulling off a coup in the market. 

For example, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's fee of £56 million is a large amount of money. 

Still, in hindsight, that amount of money for a proven 30-goal-a-season striker in his late twenties is an insanely good deal. 

If you don't believe me, look at the numbers being thrown around for Harry Kane, 28, this summer. 

The end of the window is fast approaching, which can only mean one thing, transfer deadline day. 

The Gunners enter the coming season poorly prepared for the trials and tribulations ahead, but you can bet on Mikel Arteta and the board to look to sign a few more players while they have the chance. 

There's always a risk signing players on deadline day, so to put your mind at ease, here are some examples of when Arsenal got it right. 

Mesut Ozil

You can't have a list of Arsenal's greatest ever Transfer Deadline Day signings without including the definitive Transfer Deadline Day signing. 

It's hard to think of a player whose arrival caused more iconic scenes of joy and ecstasy than Mesut Ozil. 

Not only did his performances after the transfer justify his fee and grant him legendary status at the club, but his transfer came to encapsulate a moment in time for English football. 

It was the age of the Transfer Deadline Day; it was essential viewing. 

People would take days off work, pull sickies, and in schools, the hallways would be dense with rumours of big-money signings and hilarious drama - Peter Odemwingie springs to mind. 

Ozil's transfer to Arsenal captured the zeitgeist of a decade while also providing hours of entertainment for Gunners fans around the world.

If you ask most football fans who experienced that period of football history, you'd probably find that not all of them were massive fans of the media circus. 

However, for many, the transfers of players like Robinho, Dimitar Berbatov and Ozil are as much a part of their experience as fans as any goal, assist, or away day. 

Mikel Arteta

Yes, I know this article has already taken a swipe at the players who signed in the summer of 2011. 

To be fair, it was a case of shocking transfer after shocking transfer, and all as Cesc Fabregas and Gael Clichy left the club to join Barcelona and Manchester City, respectively. 

However, the one silver lining to that window was Mikel Arteta. 

He had been a favourite at Everton for six years when he arrived at The Emirates, and many thought his best days might have been behind him. 

However, he went on to make 110 appearances in North London, and while it may be a stretch to say he achieved legend status, it certainly isn't a stretch to say he was an excellent signing for just £10 million. 

He's gone on to be vice-captain, club captain, manager and was often in contention for Arsenal's player of the season award during a five-year spell that put the rest of his 2011 cohort to shame. 

Kieran Tierney

It says a lot about Kieran Tierney's quality that he's been included in this list after just one season. 

The 24-year-old signed for £25 million from Celtic on Transfer Deadline Day last summer and, in just a year, has gone from a player unproven in the Premier League to Arsenal's best defender. 

He has shown that he isn't just a cheap back up to Liverpool's Andy Robertson but that, as many Scotland fans have been saying for years, he is every bit as good as his compatriot.

He's coming off the back of a superb Euros this summer and won't be as injury-prone as he was last season. 

Furthermore, his price tag has shown that Arsenal can still acquire £50 million players for half the price. 

They just have to look hard enough. 


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