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Ranking every player Arsenal have signed on transfer deadline day: Arteta just misses out on top spot

Mikel Arteta, Mesut Ozil and David Luiz playing for Arsenal

Mikel Arteta, Mesut Ozil and David Luiz all joined Arsenal on transfer deadline day

Arsenal have made several last-gasp signings over the years – but they’ve had mixed success with their deadline day deals.

The Gunners are set to sign Neto from Bournemouth on a season-long loan deal and they are also exploring a potential move for Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling.

We’ve looked at the 15 players Arsenal have previously signed on transfer deadline day and ranked them from worst to best.

Note: we’ve only included deals from the summer transfer windows and not the January transfer windows.

15. Andre Santos

One of four deadline day signings from the summer of 2011, Santos joined Arsenal from Fenerbahce in a £6.2million deal.

The left-back wore the No.11 shirt and scored in wins over Chelsea and West Brom, but he was often criticised for neglecting his defensive duties.

He also managed to provoke the ire of Arsenal fans when he asked Robin van Persie to swap shirts at half-time during a 2-1 defeat at Manchester United in November 2012.

The former Brazil international joined Gremio on loan a few weeks after the incident and was then sold to Flamengo.

14. Mart Poom

Arsenal signed Poom on loan from Sunderland in 2005 as they needed a third-choice goalkeeper to provide cover for Jens Lehmann and Manuel Almunia.

The move was made permanent a few months later, but he made just two first-team appearances during his two-year stint in north London.

“I was very grateful for this opportunity to join a really big club and play for a great manager in Arsene Wenger,” Poom told our sister site Planet Football. “I didn’t have a future at Sunderland so of course I took the opportunity, even if it was as a number three.

“With the help of great physios and masseurs, I got my knee right and I enjoyed working day-in, day-out with big stars like Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp.”

13. Lassana Diarra

The first of four former Chelsea players on this list, Diarra left Stamford Bridge and completed a £2million move to Arsenal in August 2007.

But the midfielder made just 13 appearances for the Gunners and joined Portsmouth in January 2008 after becoming frustrated at his lack of first-team opportunities.

12. Yossi Benayoun

Arsenal fought off competition from Liverpool, Newcastle United and Lille to sign Benayoun from Chelsea on a season-long loan deal in 2011.

“I first heard about the interest from Arsenal eight days before the end of the window and when I knew they wanted me it was an easy choice,” he said.

“I had a few good options from clubs in England and outside but as soon as I heard about Arsenal my mind was made up.”

He produced his best performance for the Gunners in a 5-2 win over Tottenham and also helped the club secure a Champions League spot by scoring in the last two games of the 2011/12 season.

However, his overall record of six goals and three assists in 25 appearances in all competitions wasn’t enough to earn the midfielder a permanent deal at the Emirates.

11. Julio Baptista

Baptista joined Arsenal from Real Madrid on a one-year loan deal in 2006 and Jose Antonio Reyes moved in the opposite direction.

The former Brazil international produced a four-goal haul against Liverpool in a League Cup quarter-final, while he also scored a brace in the semi-final clash against Tottenham.

But he netted just three goals in the Premier League and Arsenal opted against turning the loan move into a permanent deal at the end of the 2006/07 season.

10. Denilson

Arsenal signed a then-18-year-old Denilson from Sao Paulo in 2006 and Arsene Wenger described him as a mix between Tomas Rosicky and Gilberto.

The midfielder made 153 appearances for the club but failed to justify those comparisons and fell out of favour following the emergence of Jack Wilshere.

After struggling with homesickness, he rejoined Sao Paulo on an initial loan deal in 2011 and Arsenal cancelled his contract by mutual consent in 2013.

9. Takehiro Tomiyasu

Tomiyasu was linked with Tottenham and Atalanta in the summer of 2021 but Arsenal won the race for his signature after agreeing to pay Bologna £16million on deadline day.

The Japan international initially impressed and won the Arsenal Player of the Month award in September 2021, but he has been plagued by injury problems and Ben White has now established himself as the first-choice right-back.

8. Kieran Tierney

A Celtic academy graduate, Tierney bid an emotional farewell to his boyhood club in 2019 and completed a £25million move to Arsenal.

The left-back won the FA Cup in his debut season and became a fan favourite at the Emirates, but his progress was derailed by a number of fitness issues.

He spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Real Sociedad and is currently behind Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior in the pecking order.

Kieran Tierney raising his hand during an Arsenal warm up

7. Thomas Partey

Arsenal pursued Partey throughout the summer of 2020 before finally triggering the £45million release clause in his Atletico Madrid contract on deadline day.

When fully fit, the Ghana international is arguably one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League, but injuries haven’t been kind to him in recent years.

He now faces increased competition for a place in the starting line-up following Mikel Merino’s arrival from Real Sociedad.

6. Danny Welbeck

After being deemed surplus to requirements by the then-Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, Welbeck completed a £16million move to Arsenal in 2014.

The striker made a bright start to his Arsenal career, scoring a hat-trick against Galatasaray in the Champions League before netting the winning goal against United in the 2015 FA Cup quarter-final.

But injury problems hampered his time in north London and he was released at the end of the 2018/19 season, having scored 32 goals in 126 appearances in all competitions.

5. David Luiz

Eyebrows were raised when Arsenal forked out £8million to sign Luiz from Chelsea on transfer deadline day in 2019.

While the centre-back did make some calamitous mistakes during his two-year stint at the Emirates, he played an integral role in their FA Cup success in 2020 and also brought a wealth of experience into the dressing room.

“I’ve had a lot of help from a lot of different players but I would say probably the biggest impact – probably David Luiz,” Bukayo Saka said.

“He has done the most for me in my career, to go into the first team was obviously not always the easiest experience but, and I think if you say this to all of the young players at Arsenal, [they’d say] David done so much.

“He went out of his way to do a lot for us – advice on and off the pitch, yeah he was a really good guy but there has been loads of other players at Arsenal of course, but I’d probably say David.”

4. William Gallas

Arsenal sold Ashley Cole to Chelsea for just £5million in September 2006, with Gallas making the switch to the Emirates as part of the deal.

The centre-back made 142 appearances for the Gunners and was named club captain following Thierry Henry’s departure at the end of the 2006/07 season.

But the lasting memory from his four-year spell at the club was when he sat down on the pitch and threw a strop after a 2-2 draw with Birmingham City in 2008.

3. Per Mertesacker

Arsenal were in desperate need of a centre-back after the 8-2 defeat to Manchester United in August 2011 and they signed Mertesacker from Werder Bremen in a £9million deal.

“I consider myself to be a panic buy,” he admitted. “I’ve got no problems with that whatsoever because sometimes these times are rushed.

“Football is rushed, especially when the transfer window is about to close. At that time Arsenal had two or three days to make adjustments to the squad. To join an English team, my favourite English team, and to join the Premier League was something I couldn’t turn down.”

He went on to make 221 appearances during a seven-year spell in north London, helping the club win three FA Cup titles and two Community Shields.

2. Mikel Arteta

Arteta handed in a transfer request at Everton an hour before the transfer deadline in August 2011 in order to force through his £10million move to Arsenal.

The midfielder helped fill the void left by Cesc Fabregas’ departure and made 150 appearances for the club, registering 16 goals and eight assists.

He also lifted back-to-back FA Cups as club captain in 2014 and 2015 before hanging up his boots at the end of the 2015/16 season.

1. Mesut Ozil

Arsenal spent a then-club record fee of £42.5million to sign Ozil from Real Madrid in 2013, prompting wild celebrations at the Emirates.

The mercurial playmaker divided opinion during his time in north London, but he undoubtedly produced moments of magic in an Arsenal shirt.

He also won four FA Cups and picked up an Arsenal Player of the Year award after registering 19 assists in the Premier League in 2015/16.

The former Germany international fell out of favour under Arteta’s management and had his contract terminated by mutual consent in January 2021.

READ MORE: The 10 most expensive Arsenal sales of all time, featuring two Barcelona deals

Arsenal Mesut Ozil Mikel Arteta

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