Arsenal's 10 biggest sales of all time

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 14 Feb 2024 13:46 GMT
• 6 min read

Arsenal are one of the most successful and well-supported clubs in English football, but even they have to sometimes accept that key players might want to go onto pastures new.

The north London club’s rich history is peppered with star players deciding to draw a line under their time at Arsenal, and in return the Premier League outfit have received some remarkable sums of money.

However, more often that not, the Gunners have seen their key players leave in order to join a Premier League rival.

Below, FootballTransfers lists the 10 most expensive sales Arsenal have made in their history.

10. Emmanuel Adebayor - €29m (to Man City, 2009)

Despite signing a contract extension at the Emirates just 12 months earlier, Emmanuel Adebayor decided to leave Arsenal in July 2009 when Manchester City offered €29 million to sign the striker.

He left the Gunners having scored 62 goals in 142 games.

Despite his impressive record at Arsenal, Adebayor ruined any goodwill with the club's supporters when he scored in only his fourth City game - a 4-2 win over Arsenal. The Togo international then celebrated by running the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of his former fans.

9. Joe Willock - €29.4m (to Newcastle, 2021)

In the summer of 2021, Arsenal decided to cash in on Joe Willock when Newcastle United offered an attractive fee of €29.4m.

After impressing during a six-month loan move to St James' Park the season prior, Newcastle were desperate to sign the Englishman and with little chance of Willock breaking into Mikel Arteta's starting XI, Arsenal were happy to sell.

The Hale End academy graduate left his boyhood club with 78 appearances, 11 goals and four assists to his name.

8. Folarin Balogun - €30m (to Monaco, 2023)

After a successful loan spell during the 2022-23 season with Reims, Folarin Balogun returned to Arsenal with a point to prove.

However, Arteta already had Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah to choose between, and Kai Havertz's arrival pushed Balogun down the pecking order.

The American international was not content with a bench-warmer role and sought an exit, with Monaco winning the race to sign him for €30m.

So far he has been a big disappointment with Monaco and it seems as if Arsenal made the right decision to sell him.

7. Alex Iwobi - €30.4m (to Everton, 2019)

Alex Iwobi had become an Arsenal regular by the time he left to join Everton, but the Gunners were more than happy to sell the Nigerian upon receiving a €30.4m offer for his services.

Iwobi had made 149 Arsenal appearances before departing, while his last game for the club saw him net in their 4-1 loss to Chelsea in the 2019 Europa League final.

He left Everton to join Fulham in 2023, with the Craven Cottage outfit spending €25.7m to bring him back to London.

6. Robin van Persie - €30.7m (to Man Utd, 2012)

Like Thierry Henry before him, Robin van Persie established himself as Arsenal’s most important player and one of the best strikers in the world before ultimately deciding to move on in search of silverware.

After announcing that he wouldn’t be signing a contract extension in 2012, Arsenal promptly agreed terms to sell the Dutch striker to Premier League rivals Manchester United, and Van Persie happily agreed to a four-year deal.

The striker won his first English top-flight title under Sir Alex Ferguson during his debut campaign at Old Trafford, following his €30.7m move.

5. Cesc Fabregas - €34m (to Barcelona, 2011)

Having joined the club as a teenager and becoming one of the best midfielders in the world, Cesc Fabregas’ time at Arsenal was always overshadowed by the fear that he would one day return to Barcelona. And that’s exactly what happened in 2011.

The Spaniard had even become club captain at the Emirates Stadium, endearing himself to the Gunners fanbase with a consistently-high performance level.

After joining the Catalan side, Fabregas played a crucial role in helping Barca win the Spanish Cup in his first season and La Liga in his second.

His reputation amongst Arsenal fans wasn't helped when he returned to England to join their bitter rivals Chelsea in 2014.

4. Alexis Sanchez - €34m (to Man Utd, 2018)

Alexis Sanchez played a key role in Arsenal's FA Cup triumphs in both 2015 and 2016, but the club were never able to challenge for the Premier League title, something he hoped would happen when he joined Man Utd in 2018.

However, by the point of his move to Old Trafford, the Chile international was well past his best and he scored just three goals in 32 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils.

On the other hand, Sanchez netted 80 goals and provided 45 assists in 166 appearances during his time at Arsenal.

3. Nicolas Anelka - €35m (to Real Madrid, 1999)

Nicolas Anelka was nothing short of a phenomenon when he broke into Arsenal’s first team and he played a crucial role in the club's Premier League and FA Cup double in the 1997-98 season.

Despite his impressive goal record, Anelka soon developed a reputation as "Le Sulk" and when Real Madrid came in with a big-money bid in 1999, Arsenal decided to accept it, only somewhat reluctantly.

The France striker later admitted he should have never left the Gunners.

2. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - €38m (to Liverpool, 2017)

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was one of England's most promising young wingers when he joined Arsenal from Southampton and he quickly become a key member of the north London club's team.

In seven seasons at the Emirates Stadium, Oxlade-Chamberlain made 198 appearances and won three FA Cups along the way.

However, the England international was enticed away in 2017 and joined Liverpool for €38m, after Chelsea had also expressed their interest.

Although he was a useful asset for Jurgen Klopp, injury seriously limited Oxlade-Chamberlain's impact at Anfield and he left on a free transfer in 2023.

1. Marc Overmars - €40m (to Barcelona, 2000)

Marc Overmars only spent three years at Arsenal, but the Dutch winger was a fine talent whose blistering pace helped the club to a domestic double under Arsene Wenger in the 1997-98 season.

However, when Barcelona came calling in 2000, there was little Arsenal could do. The Spanish club knew Overmars was desperate to play for them and he duly signed, with France midfielder Emmanuel Petit also making the move at the same time.

Overmars even announced the transfer on his own personal website before Arsenal had the chance to confirm the deal to the media. Barca paid €40m for the speedy winger, a record sale for the Gunners.

The 10 biggest Arsenal sales of all time

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