Arsenal's 10 biggest sales of all time

Analysis

FT Desk

Arsenal are one of the most successful teams in English football, but even they have to accept that sometimes key players want to seek pastures new.

Their rich history is peppered with star names deciding to draw a line under their time in north London, raking in sizeable amounts of money as a result.

However, some of those players have ended up joining Premier League rivals - a bitter pill for a passionate, devoted fanbase to swallow.

Below, FootballTransfers lists the 10 most expensive sales in Arsenal's history.

10. Eddie Nketiah - €29.7m (to Crystal Palace, 2024)

Eddie Nketiah left Arsenal after failing to establish himself as a reliable number nine.

Nketiah, who came through the Gunners' famed youth system, needed a change of scenery as a result and so the striker joined Crystal Palace in August 2024.

However, those goalscoring woes have persisted at Palace, with Nketiah scoring just five Premier League goals in his first two seasons (2024-25 and 2025-26) at the club.

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

After a successful loan spell with Ligue 1 side Reims in 2022-23, Folarin Balogun returned to Arsenal looking to kick on in his career.

However, manager Mikel Arteta already had Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Nketiah as forward options, meaning Balogun was at the bottom of the pecking order.

The United States international was not content with a bench-warmer role, however, and sought an exit, with Monaco winning the race to sign him.

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

Alex Iwobi was an Arsenal regular by the time he left to join Everton, but the Gunners were more than happy to cash in after receiving a good offer for his services.

The academy graduate made 149 appearances for Arsenal, scoring in the 4-1 loss to Chelsea in the 2019 Europa League final, his last game for the club.

Iwobi played a major role in keeping Everton in the Premier League in 2022-23, recording seven assists as the Toffees finished 17th in the table.

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

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

After Van Persie announced he would not be signing a contract extension in July 2012, Arsenal reluctantly agreed to sell the Netherlands star to fierce rivals Manchester United.

Van Persie would go on to win his first Premier League title with United in 2012-13, scoring an incredible 26 goals in 38 games under Sir Alex Ferguson.

6. Emile Smith Rowe - €31.8m (to Fulham, 2024)

Emile Smith Rowe was regarded as one of the best talents to ever emerge from Arsenal's Hale End academy when making his senior debut in September 2018.

The attacking midfielder would go on to star for the Gunners in 2021/22, scoring 10 Premier League goals that season, only for injury to halt his progress in north London.

Smith Rowe never managed to regain his place in the starting eleven, however, and joined Fulham in August 2024 after two years on Arsenal's bench.

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

After emerging through their youth system as a teenager, Cesc Fabregas went on to become one of the best midfielders in Premier League history with Arsenal.

However, having originally joined the Gunners' youth ranks from Barcelona, there was a fear Fabregas would return to them at some point, which he did in August 2011.

After hitting double figures for Barcelona in each of his three seasons in Spain, Fabregas soured his Arsenal legacy by joining London rivals Chelsea in June 2014.

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

Alexis Sanchez played a key role in Arsenal's FA Cup triumphs in 2015 and 2016, but the club were unable to challenge for the Premier League title in that time.

And so, like Van Persie, Sanchez joined United in pursuit of English football's biggest prize in the 2018 January transfer window, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan going the other way.

However, Sanchez not only failed to win the Premier League at United, but he also struggled to replicate his Arsenal form at Old Trafford, scoring just five goals in 45 games.

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

Nicolas Anelka was a phenomenon at Arsenal - the then-teenager playing a part in the club winning the Premier League and FA Cup double in 1997-98.

However, Anelka also developed a reputation as "Le Sulk" and when Real Madrid came in with a big-money offer in August 1999, Arsenal decided to accept it.

The Frenchman would later admit he should never have left the Gunners, who used the money from his sale to sign Thierry Henry - their greatest ever player.

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

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was one of England's most promising players when he joined Arsenal from Southampton in the summer of 2011.

And in seven seasons at the Emirates Stadium, the versatile star - who operated in central midfield and also out wide - won three FA Cups over 198 appearances.

However, Oxlade-Chamberlain was enticed away in August 2017, joining a club in Liverpool with whom he would win the Premier League title in 2019-20.

1. Gabriel Martinelli - €70m (to Al-Hilal, 2026)

Gabriel Martinelli is comfortably the most expensive sale in Arsenal's history, having moved to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal for €70m in the summer of 2026.

The Brazil international left the Gunners as a champion, playing a part in them winning the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years in 2025-26.

Martinelli also had a huge hand in Arsenal reaching the Champions League final for just the second time in their history that season, netting six times in Europe's elite club competition.

The 10 biggest Arsenal sales of all time

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FT Desk

FootballTransfers' desk

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