Although Arsenal has made a number of last-minute acquisitions over the years, they frequently look back on those decisions with regret.
It is unclear if the 2022 transfer window, which has already seen the Gunners spend about £120 million on five new players, will end in a scramble at the last minute. They’ll be hoping to outperform a lot of their previous deadline day deals if they do decide to bring in someone at the very last minute.
Here are 13 first-team players that Arsenal has previously acquired on the day of the summer transfer deadline and how they fared:
Mikel Arteta
Arsenal struggled to find a replacement after selling Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona in 2011, and on the final day of the transfer window, they finally acquired Arteta from Everton.
The midfielder developed a devoted following at the Emirates and served as club captain for two seasons, winning the FA Cup in 2014 and 2015.
Thomas Partey
Throughout the summer of 2020, the name of the Ghanaian was constantly mentioned in gossip columns. Mikel Arteta eventually secured his man just before the window closed.
Partey did not, however, succeed in turning around the midfield woes of the Gunners as many had hoped, despite his former club Atletico Madrid going on to win the La Liga championship in his absence.
Even though Partey has struggled with injuries, he has grown into a key player in the middle of the field.
Per Mertesacker
In 2011, Mertesacker relocated from Werder Bremen to North London and formed a strong alliance with Laurent Koscielny.
The Germany international played for Arsenal for seven years, making 156 league appearances despite suffering injuries toward his career’s end.
He also won two FA Cups, and in the 2017 final against Chelsea, he displayed exceptional man-of-the-match qualities.
Mesut Ozil
After excelling for Real Madrid, Ozil signed a £42.5 million transfer to Arsenal in 2013, and anticipations were high.
The mysterious playmaker produced some astounding displays of class while wearing a red shirt, winning three FA Cups in his first four years in England.
He was one of the Premier League’s most expensive benchwarmers after losing favour under Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta before making the unwise decision to join Fenerbahce in January 2021.
Kieran Tierney
Tierney had a difficult first season in north London after switching from Celtic to Arsenal in 2019. He only made 15 Premier League appearances.
The Scotland international did, however, have a lengthy run with the team following lockdown, contributing significantly to their FA Cup victory before accruing more playing time in his second season.
However, injuries have persisted, and Oleksandr Zinchenko now appears to be a serious threat to his position in Arsenal’s starting XI.
Takehiro Tomiyasu
When he joined Arsenal last summer, the right-back from Bologna was relatively unknown outside of Serie A.
He jumped right in and appeared unaffected by joining a new league. He missed nearly half of Arsenal’s games during his debut season due to injuries, but £16 million still seems like a wise investment.
Danny Welbeck
On the final day of the 2014 transfer window, Welbeck signed a £16 million contract with Arsenal, leaving his old team Manchester United.
The striker had injury issues throughout his five years with the Gunners, despite having a strong start to life at the Emirates.
At the conclusion of the 2018–19 campaign, he was released after making 126 appearances and scoring 32 goals.
Andre Santos
Arsenal needed reinforcements after an 8-2 loss to Manchester United in August 2011, so they made four deadline-day signings.
Santos, who was acquired from Fenerbache, scored a few significant goals during his two years with the team but frequently infuriated supporters with defensive mistakes.
Yossi Benayoun
Benayoun unexpectedly transferred from Premier League rival Chelsea to Arsenal in 2011, where he spent the entire season on loan.
The Israel international scored six goals in 25 games across all competitions, including a pivotal goal in the 3-2 victory over West Brom on the season’s final day to secure Champions League qualification.
Lassana Diarra
Diarra joined Arsenal in 2007 and was quickly sold to Portsmouth, so it’s fair to say that he didn’t have much of an impact there.
David Luiz
On transfer deadline day in 2019, Arsenal made a surprise move for Luiz because they needed defensive reinforcements.
The center-back made a number of mistakes in his first season with the Gunners, most notably in that cameo appearance against Manchester City.
But after being dismissed by experts, he went on to excel in their FA Cup semifinal and championship victories. What a mystery.
After extending his contract to stay at Arsenal through the 2020–21 campaign, he might have regretted it after a forgettable campaign.
William Gallas
In 2006, Gallas joined Arsenal after allegedly threatening to score an own goal if chosen for Chelsea, while Ashley Cole made the opposite move.
The centre back took on Dennis Bergkamp’s No. 10 jersey and was made club captain in 2007, but lost the position in 2008.
Julio Baptista
In 2006, Baptista moved to Arsenal on a one-year loan from Real Madrid, with Jose Antonio Reyes moving in the other direction.
Although he had trouble adjusting to the Premier League, the Brazil international will always be remembered for his four goals against Liverpool in a League Cup victory.
