Arsenal look like they could be closing in on the blockbuster signing of West Ham captain Declan Rice this summer, after Manchester City pulled out of the race for the £100m man.
But where would Rice rank in Arsenal’s most expensive signings? Read on as we look at the Gunners’ top five most expensive purchases in history.
5. Thomas Partey – £45.3m
Thomas Partey signed to the Gunners from Atletico Madrid in 2020 and despite the lack of Champions League football at the time, Arsenal were able to secure their man for £45.3m.
Although he has struggled to stay fit at points for Arsenal, Partey has become one of the most important players in Mikel Arteta’s engine room alongside Granit Xhaka.
With the potential arrivals of Declan Rice and Romeo Lavia for Arsenal this summer, it looks like Partey could be set for a London exit after three seasons in England.
There have been reports of Saudi interest for Partey ahead of next season, however it seems the 30-year-old would prefer to stay in Europe with Juventus reportedly interested.
4. Alexandre Lacazette – £46.5m
Arsenal’s pursuit of Alexandre Lacazette was one that lasted multiple windows, but the Gunners eventually got their man in 2017 as Arsene Wenger made the Frenchman the club’s most expensive signing at the time.
Lacazette was fairly consistent during his time at Arsenal, but he was never able to reach the levels that were expected of him and his £46.5m price tag.
The striker scored at least ten goals in every season he played for Arsenal, but failed to ever get past the 14 goal mark with his finishing in front of goal leaving plenty to be desired.
Lacazette eventually made a return back to his home club Lyon in 2022, with the captain scoring 27 goals in 35 league games back in Ligue 1 last season.
3. Ben White – £50m
The second player on this list to still play for the Gunners is Ben White, who cost Arsenal £50m when they signed the versatile defender from Brighton at the start of last season.
White’s fee raised a lot of eyebrows at the beginning of the year, but Mikel Arteta converted the defender into a fullback and the results were just as successful as he could have hoped.
Arteta started White in 36/38 of Arsenal’s Premier League games last season, with the 25-year-old assisting five goals from his advanced role at right back.
White blossomed into one of Arsenal’s best players last season but he could be rivalled for a spot in the starting lineup next year, with new potential signing Jurrien Timber expected to join Arsenal in the coming weeks.
2. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – £56m
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang signed for Arsenal midway through the 2017/18 campaign in a blockbuster move from Borussia Dortmund worth £56m, teaming up with Lacazette to form a formidable attacking duo.
The Gabonese forward didn’t take long to surpass Lacazette’s goal tally for the season, with Aubameeyang picking up where he left off in Germany.
‘Auba’ scored 92 goals in 163 games for the Gunners and was eventually named as one of Arsenal’s co-captains after impressing in his opening couple of seasons.
Things turned sour for Aubameyang during the 2021/22 season however, as the forward had his captaincy stripped and was dropped from the squad after disciplinary issues.
1. Nicolas Pepe – £72m
The most expensive signing in Arsenal’s history was Nicolas Pepe, who the Gunners bought from Lille with a plan to pay the £72m fee in instalments to the French club.
Pepe recorded 27 goals and 21 assists for Arsenal in 112 games, but he was quickly replaced by the meteoric rise of Bukayo Saka who quickly became one of Arsenal’s best players.
Arsenal’s tricky winger never lived up to the price tag much like many others on this list and he was loaned back to France last season, playing for Nice in what was another sub-standard season for the Ivorian.
It is yet to be decided what will happen to Pepe this summer, but with Arsenal clearing the decks ahead of their return to the Champions League next season its surely only a matter of time before Pepe leaves the Emirates.
Should the Gunners secure Declan Rice this summer, he would not only smash Arsenal’s transfer record out of the water but he would also become the most expensive British player of all time.
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