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In a few days' time, the January transfer window will close and Arsenal are said to be stepping up in the pursuit of their targets. The Gunners are marred by injuries and are also worried about expiring contracts in their ranks.
There have been some outgoings in this window but they have left it very late to bring players on board. Mikel Arteta only wants players who can contribute to taking the team a notch higher before the end of the season.
Arsenal have made some impactful signings in the winter transfer window
The Gunners have been finishing outside the Premier League top-four for the last four seasons and that has only made it more difficult for them to attract players. However, there was a time when they were competing in the Champions League and an attractive proposition for any player.
Fans remain hopeful that the north London club will do some good business before the deadline. As they work on getting those deals confirmed, we take a look at when Arsenal did some of the best business in January. Here are the five best signings the Gunners made in the winter transfer window.
#5 Emmanuel Eboue
Arsenal have attracted some of the most talented European talents to the club and Emmanuel Eboue will struggle to make that list. He was definitely not a standout player, technique-wise. However, n his time at the club, Eboue was a really hard-working player.
There was a lot of color to the Ivorian's personality and there were hardly any dull moments with him on the pitch. Eboue had his rough moments as an Arsenal player and was booed off the pitch a couple of times for poor performances. However, he stayed positive and continued with grit and commitment.
The right-back was signed for a cheap price of €2.20 million and went on to become a value for money signing. During his seven years with the club, he made 215 appearances for the Gunners and challenged Lauren for the right-back spot.
Eboue was a regular in the 2005-06 starting XI that reached the final of the Champions League. Even though he was signed for a cheap fee, Arsene Wenger managed to make a slight profit by selling Eboue for €3.50 million.
#4 Emmanuel Adebayor
A name that many fans do not want to remember fondly. Emmanuel Adebayor created one of the most controversial moments in Premier League history after he left the Gunners. While playing for Manchester City, Adebayor rushed the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans after scoring against the Gunners.
Putting hat sour experience aside, Adebayor did not do much wrong in his time with the north London club. In his 144 appearances, the striker found the back of the net 62 times and provided 24 assists in all competitions. Adebayor's athleticism and appetite for goals was appreciated by fans during his career at Arsenal.
The departure of Thierry Henry was a huge blow to Arsenal's hopes of challenging for silverware. The Togo international eased that transition period and did his best to fill the void left by Henry. His reputation as a Gunner stands tarnished due to his own actions. By joining Tottenham Hotspur first on loan and then permanently, he became their biggest villain.
#3 Theo Walcott
Any conversation around Theo Walcott's long relationship with Arsenal is bound to end in the 'what could have been' zone. Through the better part of his spell at the Emirates, Walcott treated fans with flashes of brilliance and sometimes enjoyed brief spells when he was unstoppable.
However, the expectations were high and Walcott's ceiling was lower than what was expected. He will always be remembered for his ridiculous pace, and in his prime, the Englishman was definitely among the quickest footballers in Europe.
In his 12-year long career as an Arsenal player, Walcott had to deal with 14 significant injuries that prevented him from fulfilling his full potential. Walcott won two FA Cups and two Community Shield trophies before joining Everton in 2018.
Arsenal, though, did make a profit on his sale. Having bought him for 10.5 million, Walcott was sold to Everton for 22.5 million. In 397 appearances, Walcott managed to score 108 goals and assist another 90 for Arsenal.
That's almost one goal contribution in every second appearance.
#2 Nacho Monreal
The fact that Nacho Monreal was going to replace Andre Santos in 2013 always felt like good news. The Brazilian had regularly struggled with his defensive duties and fans wanted an upgrade. In came Monreal, who first played second-fiddle to Keiran Gibbs but steadily became an ever-present figure at the club.
Monreal arrived for a decent price tag of €10 million and became a loyal servant of the club who gave his best years to Arsenal. The Spaniard was a complete team player and was hardly involved in any controversies and tussles during his time in north London.
Monreal was a disciplined left-back who never compromised on his defending but bombed forward whenever given space. He was a mainstay under Arsene Wenger and made 251 appearances for the Gunners. Monreal's ability to pop up with the odd goal was also always appreciated by fans.
#1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
This season has really changed the mood around former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and it seems like this saga could yet end on a rather painful note.
Aubameyang is the second most expensive Arsenal player of all time (€63.75m) and the Gunners are set to make a big loss on his sale. The striker is earning a massive £350k-a-week and is undoubtedly costing the club as he has not had a great strike rate this season. Aubameyang has also been frozen out of the squad due to disciplinary issues.
Putting this aside, Aubameyang has certainly impressed since his arrival at the Emirates. Even though the club have only managed to compete in the Europa League and finish outside the top-four places in the league, Aubameyang has shouldered the responsibilities of scoring goals for the Gunners.
The 32-year old has scored 92 goals for Arsenal in his 165 appearances for the north London club and has also provided 24 assists. The striker became the fastest Gunners player to reach 50 goals for the club, a feat he achieved four games quicker than Thierry Henry.
Aubameyang has helped the club reach the final of the Europa League and was the protagonist of their 2020 FA Cup triumph. He has been a massive player for the Gunners but it appears his tenure at the club will end on a sour note.
