Mikel Arteta has made plenty of progress since arriving at Arsenal in the winter of 2019. After replacing Unai Emery in the Gunners hotseat, the Spaniard endured a tumultuous start to his reign in N5 before transforming the north Londoners into regular title contenders.
A key ingredient to their success under the former Arsenal midfielder has been their proficiency in the transfer market.
While they have had their fair share of horror stories, Arteta has provided plenty of hits when strengthening his squad.
Ranking factors
In this list, we have looked at the Gunners manager’s best signings as Arsenal boss. To rank these signings in order, we have considered the following factors:
- Transfer fee – how much they were bought for in comparison to their quality
- Impact – how quickly they were able to become integral parts of the team
- Tactical suitability – how they fit Arteta’s style of play
- Reliability – whether they have stayed injury-free or been able to help out in different positions
| Rank | Player | From | Year | Transfer fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin Odegaard | Real Madrid | 2021 | £30m |
| 2 | Gabriel | Lille | 2020 | £23.14m |
| 3 | Declan Rice | West Ham | 2023 | £105m |
| 4 | David Raya | Brentford | 2024 | £27m |
| 5 | Kai Havertz | Chelsea | 2023 | £65m |
| 6 | Leandro Trossard | Brighton | 2023 | £27m |
| 7 | Mikel Merino | Real Sociedad | 2024 | £31.6m |
| 8 | Ben White | Brighton | 2021 | £50m |
| 9 | Jorginho | Chelsea | 2023 | £12m |
| 10 | Jurrien Timber | Ajax | 2023 | £38.5m |
10: Jurrien Timber
Signed from Ajax for £38.5m (2023)
Jurrien Timber’s Arsenal career got off to a false start when he suffered a long-term injury on his debut in August 2023.
The Dutchman showed what he could offer the side in 2024/25, with the full-back becoming one of their most reliable defenders amid the constant unavailability of Takehiro Tomiyasu and Riccardo Calafiori.
Timber’s impact has been so telling that Ben White’s right-back berth is no longer a foregone conclusion.
| Arsenal full-backs | 2024/25 appearances | 2024/25 starts |
|---|---|---|
| Jurrien Timber | 48 | 42 |
| Myles Lewis-Skelly | 39 | 26 |
| Riccardo Calafiori | 29 | 16 |
| Ben White | 26 | 17 |
| Oleksandr Zinchenko | 23 | 8 |
| Kieran Tierney | 20 | 4 |
| Takehiro Tomiyasu | 1 | 0 |
9: Jorginho
Signed from Chelsea for £12m (2023)
When Arsenal bolstered their squad as they sought the title in the 2022/23 season, Jorginho’s arrival in north London could have been seen as a ballsy move.
Eyebrows will always be raised when Arsenal do deals with Chelsea – why should a rival help them out year after year? But Jorginho’s signing was done on the cheap, and while he is no longer at the club, he provided the side with key cover in central midfield.
The Italian also came up with a vital strike during their initial run-in, with a late winner off Emiliano Martinez against Aston Villa prolonging the Gunners’ title bid. Had he been bought a few years earlier, he would have been perfect.
| Chelsea to Arsenal transfers | Date | Transfer fee |
|---|---|---|
| Noni Madueke | July 2025 | £52m |
| Kepa Arrizabalaga | July 2025 | £5m |
| Raheem Sterling | August 2024 | Loan |
| Kai Havertz | July 2023 | £65m |
| Jorginho | January 2023 | £12m |
| Willian | August 2020 | Free |
8: Ben White
Signed from Brighton for £50m (2021)
When Arsenal were beaten at Brentford on Ben White’s debut, you’d be forgiven for wondering if Arteta had bought a dud.
But since evolving into a right-back, White has been one of Arsenal’s most reliable performers, only for injury to curtail his progress in the 2024/25 campaign.
His link-up play with Bukayo Saka down the Gunners’ right has been a key element of their success, while his pace shows he is no slouch at the back. Who cares if he doesn’t like football?
| Arsenal record with White & Saka | Games |
|---|---|
| Played | 141 |
| Won | 83 |
| Drawn | 25 |
| Lost | 33 |
7: Mikel Merino
Signed from Real Sociedad for £31.6m (2024)
Mikel Merino had an interesting first season at Arsenal, to say the least. Injured in his first training session, the Spaniard provides strength, backup and unpredictability to the Gunners midfield.
Perhaps the most impressive trait he displayed was his versatility, with the midfielder being entrusted with filling the centre-forward role vacated by the injured Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus with considerable aplomb, netting vital winners against Leicester City and Chelsea before slotting home an exquisite strike against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Arteta will hope Merino will be able to display the skills he was bought for on a more regular basis in the future, especially given that Arsenal have since strengthened their frontline.
Either way, Arsenal know they can call on him if an emergency strikes again.
| Mikel Merino per position in 2024/25 | Appearances | Goals | Goals per game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centre-midfield | 30 | 3 | 0.1 |
| Centre-forward | 12 | 6 | 0.5 |
6: Leandro Trossard
Signed from Brighton for £27m (2023)
Another January signing for the 2022/23 campaign, Leandro Trossard joined to add more bite to the Arsenal attack.
While he has blown hot and cold at times since his move from Brighton, the Belgian has displayed his knack for finishing off chances, reaching double figures for goals in each of his full seasons at the club to date.
Winners against Porto, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur rank highly in his impressive goal catalogue, so it could be argued he has fulfilled his end of the bargain during his time in Arsenal colours.
5: Kai Havertz
Signed from Chelsea for £65m (2023)
Despite being Arsenal’s top scorer in 2024/25 and scoring plenty of crucial goals in his first season, the jury may still be out on Kai Havertz.
But the fact is that he has been a key part of Arteta’s plans since arriving, and his versatility in an attacking sense has been vital to the Gunners amid the underperformance and injury struggles of Gabriel Jesus.
His hard work off the ball perhaps goes unnoticed, especially when charged with sticking the ball in the back of the net as a centre-forward, which may not even be his best position.
Add a major trophy to his Arsenal CV, and his £65m transfer fee will look a snip.
| Top scorers since 2023/24 | 2023/24 goals | 2024/25 goals | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bukayo Saka | 20 | 12 | 32 |
| Kai Havertz | 14 | 15 | 29 |
| Leandro Trossard | 17 | 10 | 27 |
| Gabriel Martinelli | 8 | 10 | 18 |
| Martin Odegaard | 11 | 6 | 17 |
| Declan Rice | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| Gabriel Jesus | 8 | 7 | 15 |
4: David Raya
Signed from Brentford for £27m (2024)
Twice a Golden Glove winner with the Gunners, David Raya has been an inspired choice between the sticks for Arsenal.
Replacing Aaron Ramsdale to some derision amongst the fanbase following his initial loan move in 2023, Raya is now one of the best goalkeepers in the league, without question.
He is a far better tactical fit than his No 1 predecessor with his passing aptitude, while he made a number of astounding saves in the 2024/25 season alone to further cement his status as one of Arsenal’s current stars.
| David Raya’s penalty saves | Opposition | Penalty taker |
|---|---|---|
| December 2023 | West Ham | Said Benrahma |
| March 2024 | Porto | Wendell |
| March 2024 | Porto | Galeno |
| September 2024 | Atalanta | Mateo Retegui |
| May 2025 | PSG | Vitinha |
3: Declan Rice
Signed from West Ham for £105m (2023)
Arsenal smashed their transfer record to bring in Declan Rice, and their £105m statement signing still looks like an impressive piece of business.
Amid all the injuries that befell the Gunners in 2024/25, Rice remained their one constant and capped a superb campaign by being named as Arsenal’s Player of the Season, even if his free-kick double against Real Madrid was worthy of the award alone.
Comfortably one of the first names on the teamsheet, Rice has kicked on since arriving in north London and it is difficult to imagine Arsenal succeeding without him.
| Arsenal’s record signings | Signed from | Transfer fee |
|---|---|---|
| Declan Rice | West Ham | £105m |
| Nicolas Pepe | Lille | £72m |
| Kai Havertz | Chelsea | £65m |
| Viktor Gyokeres | Sporting CP | £64m |
| Martin Zubimendi | Real Sociedad | £60m |
2: Gabriel
Signed from Lille for £23.14m (2020)
One of Arteta’s first permanent signings at the club, Gabriel has grown into one of the best centre-backs in world football.
He has forged an excellent partnership with William Saliba at the heart of the Gunners backline, with Arsenal’s defending a shadow of itself without him in it.
Given his price, his status in the team and his set-piece goal threat, Gabriel has been one hell of a hit at the Emirates.
| Player | Set-piece goals (under Arteta) |
|---|---|
| Gabriel | 15 |
| William Saliba | 6 |
| Eddie Nketiah | 5 |
| Own goal | 4 |
| 5 players | 3 |
1: Martin Odegaard
Signed from Real Madrid for £30m (2021)
It’s not often you’re given the chance to sign a superstar from Real Madrid on the cheap. But that’s exactly what Mikel Arteta did when turning Martin Odegaard’s loan move to a permanent one in 2021.
Now the Arsenal captain, Odegaard is rightly one of Arteta’s main men. One of the world’s best when on form, the Norwegian is poised to lead Arsenal into a period where they hope they will be dominating domestically, if not also on the continent.
Arsenal look lost without him when he’s out with injury, demonstrating his crucial input in an attacking sense. His form may fluctuate, but his value to Arteta is clear, and the only thing missing from his Arsenal career since his bargain switch is lifting a trophy besides the Community Shield.
Note: All statistics sourced from Transfermarkt.
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