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Greatest January Signings in Arsenal History

By mac14 on February 1, 2024

Top English Premier League teams are not known to make rush transfers in the January transfer window, but different situations may force these clubs to sanction particular moves. Arsenal, in particular, do not have a solid history with the mid-season window since the days of Arsene Wenger. However, a few names have come in during this short window and made their mark.

With the Premier League midway, managers are always looking out for potential signings to bolster their squads, whether it happens in January or in the summer. Arsenal remain in the title discussion despite falling out of the Betway favourites list. Here are the top five January signings in the Premier League era for Arsenal.

#5. Andrey Arshavin

Andrey Arshavin joined Arsenal from Zenit St. Petersburg in January 2009 for £15 million. He made an immediate impact for the Gunners with two goals and five assists in his first seven starts, but he saved his best for his eighth game, where he scored all four goals in a memorable 4-4 draw against Liverpool at Anfield to deny the Anfield faithful the Premier League title. However, despite the early promise, Arshavin faced some challenges in meeting the initial expectations and eventually left the Emirates in 2013.

#4. Nicolas Anelka

Despite his somewhat contentious departure and a brief stint at Arsenal, Nicolas Anelka stands out as one of the club’s best and greatest signings in the Premier League era. Wenger used his French connections to snap the youthful forward from Paris Saint-Germain’s youth system for a modest sum, where he would be assigned the No. 9 shirt by the Premier League giants. Anelka was a big part of Arsenal’s Double success in 1998 at a young age, before big European sides came calling.

Arsenal later sold him to Real Madrid for a huge fee of £22.3 million, a considerable sum at that time. Proceeds from Anelka’s sale facilitated the acquisition of Thierry Henry, arguably the greatest player to play for the club, and a new training ground.

#3. Nacho Monreal

Arsenal secured Nacho Monreal’s signature on the deadline day of January 2013. He went on to play for the London club for seven years, where he became a fan-favourite. Known as “the goat” since childhood, Monreal went on to make over 250 appearances in north London, helping his side to three FA Cup wins before moving back to his native Spain. Nacho, 37, plays for Real Sociedad in the Spanish top tier. Remember, Betway betting fans can bet on all tiers of all top European leagues.

#2. Emmanuel Adebayor

Emmanuel Adebayor may have dented his Arsenal legacy with a controversial departure and the infamous celebration while playing for Manchester City against the Gunners, yet he remains a huge figure. Signed for a mere £3 million from Monaco in the French Ligue 1 at 21, the Togo international evolved into one of the Premier League’s most clinical strikers.

Following Thierry Henry’s move to Barcelona in 2007, Adebayor stepped up, scoring 30 goals in 48 appearances. He signed for Manchester City in the summer of 2009, and scored against his former side in a 4-2 win at the City of Manchester Stadium, running full length in celebration, something that irked Arsenal fans.

#1. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

In January 2018, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund and promptly secured the Golden Boot in his first full season with the club. The Gabon international netted 92 goals in 163 appearances for the Gunners, including a crucial brace in the 2020 FA Cup final against Chelsea.

Despite his departure in January 2022 amid a fallout with manager Mikel Arteta, Aubameyang left Arsenal with the second-best goals-per-game ratio in the club’s Premier League history, trailing only Thierry Henry.

Worth mentioning, Thiery Henry’s second coming took place in January, but it was obviously without the initial sting. He made his mark during his first stint with the club, and now it is up to the current crop of Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, and co to make their mark. As the season hots up, you can bet on all remaining Arsenal matches on the Betway website or mobile app.