Arsenal have pulled off some major transfers in their time and the summer of 2023 brings with it the opportunity to create an even greater buzz than ever before. Links are surfacing to some of the biggest names around and the Gunners might see a new name at the top of the list of most impressive Premier League transfers.
Declan Rice is of course the name in question. The England international would become the new record signing for the north London side should he complete the £90million-plus move that football.london understands Arsenal are pushing to secure with West Ham.
Arsenal’s most expensive English player signed in 2021 for £50million when Ben White arrived from Brighton. Aaron Ramsdale was another English talent signed for close to £30million but his arrival couldn’t be any different to Rice’s, with many supporters naïve to the quality which the goalkeeper would soon show.
Going further back and the deadline day signing of Thomas Partey is 2020 drew plenty of attention. After a lengthy pursuit, Arsenal surprised everyone including Atletico Madrid by telling La Liga they would activate the release clause of the Ghanaian and with minutes to spare the midfielder was announced as a new Arsenal player.
The summer before in 2019 witnessed the current record-breaking transfer of Nicolas Pepe from Lille. However, Arsenal will hope that the £72million disappointment that the Ivorian has sadly turned into will not be the same in Rice’s case.
The January transfer window of 2018 saw the arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. In one of the best announcement videos, a striker many thought would never have been bought by the club came in and would go on to captain the side and win the FA Cup before leaving in controversial circumstances.
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Going back a large jump of nearly four years to 2014 and the arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona grabbed the attention of the world. A star of La Liga but keen to leave the restrictive environment of Catalunya, Alexis thrives at Arsenal and prior to a traitorous move to Manchester United was adored for his style and brilliance.
Should Rice indeed be signed, many will reference Mesut Ozil as the transfer to beat. In the latter stages of the summer of 2013, Arsenal pulled off a memorable signing on deadline day to bring in the mercurial Real Madrid man who would go on to have a polarising Gunners career.
Moving through the years of financial restrictions and into the golden era of Arsene Wenger, in 2001 Arsenal signed Sol Campbell on a free transfer from Tottenham. In a deal which would shock the country as Campbell swapped white for red, the move has gone down in history as one of the biggest in north London and Rice’s arrival might indeed be one of the most transformative since the centre-half’s eyebrow-raising switch.
Replacing Nicolas Anelka in 2001 was Thierry Henry. Something of a Juventus disappointment, Henry would become one of - if not the - greatest player in the club’s history but it’d be fair to say his arrival itself lacked the star-studded gloss his career would soon gain.
In 1995, Dennis Bergkamp's arrival from Inter Milan under Bruce Rioch perhaps remains understated amongst the modern era of Arsenal supporters but after an underwhelming time in Italy, the Dutchman became a legend in north London. Rice would be coming in on a high and so perhaps the profile is even bigger than the elegant forward.
Overall, Rice is sure to go down as one of the most memorable signings in the club’s history in comparison to any player with a potential triple-million figure fee. The emphasis, should he sign, will then be on what he delivers after.
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