GOAL examines Arsenal’s most notable transfer misfires as the club’s record signing prepares to depart, prompting a look back at signings that didn’t hit their marks.
Historically, Arsenal has brought in many world-class talents, many of them under Arsène Wenger over the last three decades. Yet for every Thierry Henry there are others like Francis Jeffers or Gervinho—players bought with high expectations who faded from view far too quickly.
Among the biggest disappointments is Nicolás Pépé. The winger arrived for a club record £72 million in 2019 and enjoyed three solid seasons at the Emirates before heading to Nice on loan for the 2022-23 campaign. With no path back into Mikel Arteta’s squad, Pépé will leave Arsenal for good, and the question turns to where he ranks among the club’s most costly misfires. GOAL delves into 15 transfers that Arsenal fans would rather forget…
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15.- Gervinho (10.8 million pounds, free transfer from Lille, 2011)
Arsenal acquired Gervinho at a moment when Lille’s core boasted talents like Eden Hazard and Yohan Cabaye. Wenger aimed for the wrong profile, and the Ivorian winger never managed to thrive in north London following the exit of Samir Nasri. Eleven goals in 69 appearances underscored a missed opportunity to become a consistent attacking threat, with a notable lapse in a League Cup clash against Bradford City underscoring the struggle.
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14.- Lucas Pérez (17.1 million pounds from Deportivo La Coruña)
Lucas Pérez rose to prominence in La Liga during the 2015/2016 season, lifting Deportivo from relegation trouble with 17 league goals. Arsenal believed he could be the solution, but the reality fell short. He managed just a single Premier League goal in his first and only season, after which he returned to Deportivo on loan and later moved to West Ham at a considerable financial loss.
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13.- Marouane Chamakh (Bordeaux free agent, 2010)
Marouane Chamakh joined Arsenal on a free transfer in 2010 and started with potential. Yet he netted only 14 goals in 67 appearances before going on loan to West Ham in January 2013 as Robin van Persie’s rise reduced his role. Chamakh later suggested Wenger had not been fully upfront about his first-team prospects, claiming a mismatch between expectations and reality.
“I played for six months, I scored goals, I was decisive. In January Robin returned from injury and from the evening to the morning he sent me to court without justification,” he stated. “I’m a little angry because I deserved more playing time. At the start of the year, Wenger hinted at a different tactical setup.”
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12.- André Santos (6.2 million pounds from Fenerbahce, 2011)
André Santos joined Arsenal alongside Per Mertesacker and Yossi Benayoun to bolster left-back options. A lack of pace and positional issues quickly drew scrutiny, and a mid-season shirt swap with Van Persie during a 2–1 loss to Manchester United intensified fan frustration.
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11.- Mikaël Silvestre (750,000 pounds from Manchester United, 2006)
Arsenal’s fierce rivalry with Manchester United colored the reception for Silvestre. The French defender spent two years as a squad player without delivering the form he showed at United, leaving many fans unimpressed with the low-impact acquisition.
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10.- Stefan Malz (650,000 pounds from 1860 Munich, 1999)
Midfield recruit Stefan Malz arrived in 1999 but failed to break through alongside established names like Vieira, Petit, and Pires. He departed after two seasons and just 14 appearances, leaving behind more questions than answers.
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9.- Alberto Méndez (250,000 pounds from SC Feucht, 1997)
Although part of a year that included players like Nicolas Anelka and Emmanuel Petit, Alberto Méndez failed to make his mark. The left-back/defender wrapped up his time at Arsenal after only 11 appearances.
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8.- Amaury Bischoff (free agent from Werder Bremen, 2008)
Wenger described Bischoff as a gamble due to injury history. Even after returning to fitness, the midfielder never climbed the pecking order. He later explained that limited playing time led him to leave, having appeared in just 25 minutes of league action.
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7.- David Grondin (500,000 pounds from Saint-Etienne, 1998)
Grondin arrived as a teenager but featured only once in the league across five years before moving to Dunfermline. He recalled arriving at a club full of world-class players and having to fight for a chance, a fight he ultimately could not win.
“I was young and inexperienced at a big club. I couldn’t tell the manager I should be part of the team.”
He later reflected on the challenge of breaking through, and the long road to proving himself elsewhere.
Some quotes provided by the players reflect the rough reality of big-club transfers where potential didn’t translate into sustained impact.
6.- Park Chu-young (5.5 million pounds from Monaco, 2011)
Park Chu-young arrived after a medical in Lille and wore the number 9 shirt. He scored on his Arsenal debut in a League Cup tie but found first-team minutes scarce, and left in 2014 after fewer than 10 appearances, never reaching the form expected from his early career in Ligue 1.
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5.- Shkodran Mustafi (35 million pounds from Valencia, 2016)
Mustafi joined Arsenal with a strong résumé, helping to spark a long unbeaten spell, but several costly errors chipped away at his standing. By 2019 he had exited the first team, and the contract was terminated in early 2021 as he lingered on the fringes for years.
He remains a reminder of how high-profile purchases can still disappoint when balance and cohesion fall apart.
Shkodran Mustafi’s time underscored that big names must be paired with fit, consistent performances to justify heavy fees.
4.- Sebastien Squillaci (6.5 million pounds from Seville, 2010)
Squillaci was signed to strengthen the back line but quickly slid down the depth chart as mistakes piled up. He left in 2013 after failing to establish himself as a reliable option.
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3.- Igors Stepanovs (1.3 million pounds from Skonto Riga, 2000)
Stepanovs was a late replacement for Tony Adams and endured a demoralizing 6–1 loss at Old Trafford that cannot be forgotten. He went on to make 17 league appearances in four years before a move to Grasshoppers.
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2.- Francis Jeffers (8 million pounds from Everton, 2001)
Often nicknamed the “Fox in the Box,” Jeffers joined for a hefty fee but delivered only eight goals and battled recurring injuries. He left for Charlton Athletic in 2004, while Ruud van Nistelrooy thrived with Manchester United and Real Madrid.
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1.- Nicolas Pépé (72 million pounds from Lille, 2019)
Spending a club-record sum raised expectations for Pépé, who peaked with Lille during the 2018-19 season. In English football, he never arrived at the same level, leaving Arsenal for a new challenge after a productive spell at Nice on loan and then departing permanently in 2023.
Arsenal’s transfer history shows a mix of star power and misfires, a balance many clubs see over decades of competition.
Source: GOAL