With the transfer window raging thoughts of many football fans are on who their club will buy or sell, for Arsenal fans the summer had been more on outgoing players, mainly on loan, than new signings. Arsenal look to be keeping many of their big players, quashing interest in them from around Europe but there are times when an offer comes in for a player that nobody could refuse.
These offers usually see players make huge profits on players, something that has not really happened for English clubs selling players to Europe this season. For example, Manchester United are set to make a £15 million loss on Angel di Maria and Spurs lost a lot of money after selling three, potentially four, of their "Magnificent Seven" that they bought for a combined fee of over £100 million two seasons ago. To show those clubs how transfer deals are really done, let's look at Arsenal's five most profitable players of all time.
5) Marc Overmars:
Arsenal made an estimated profit of between £18m to £20m on the Dutchman when he was sold to Barcelona in 2000. Marc Overmars became an instant hit at Arsenal when he moved two the club in 1997 and was an integral part of the 1997-98 Double winning team. His good performances continued the next season but Arsenal lost the title and the FA Cup to Manchester United, who went on to win the treble.
His stellar performances caught the eye of many top European clubs and he moved to Barcelona in 2000 for £25m, a transfer that made him the most expensive Dutch player in history at the time. Despite his success at Arsenal he failed to win anything at Barcelona and injuries forced him into the role of a bit part player. He was unlucky in his time at Barcelona and his injuries were so bad they forced him to retire in 2004, but his lack of Spanish success does make the £25m Arsenal got for him look even better.
4) Robin van Persie:
Another Dutchman makes the list, with this one bring a name held in far less esteem by Arsenal fans. After eight years at Arsenal, then captain Robin van Persie forced a move away from North London after refusing to extend his contract. After refusing moves abroa, van Persie made the controversial choice to move to Manchester United. He retained the Golden Boot that he won with Arsenal in 2011-12 with United in 2012-13 and he also fired them to a Premier League title, the only one he won at Old Trafford.
Arsenal made a £21 million profit on the Dutchman, after buying him for £3m from Feyenoord and selling him for £24m eight years later. Manchester United did not have that same magic on his price tag, with van Persie leaving for about £20m less than he moved for in 2012. His £4m move to Fenerbache was sealed earlier in the transfer window and maybe shows how well Arsenal did to get the money they did for him.
3) Emmanuel Adebayor:
Another controversial figure in Arsenal history and another striker, Emmanuel Adebayor swapped the red of North London for the sky blue of Manchester six years ago for £25m. Arsenal bought him from Monaco for £3m, netting the Gunners a £22m profit. Like van Persie he had a strong start at his new club but he failed to sustain his from over a long predilection of time.
After swapping the Emirates for the Etihad, and celebrating in front of the Arsenal fans after scoring against them, the striker from Togo angered Arsenal fans even more by signing for rivals Spurs, first on loan and then permanently. He again failed to find form and fell out of favour under new manager Maurico Pottetcino. He is currently being linked to a move to Aston Villa to reunite with the only manager aside from Arsene Wenger who could get the best out of him, Tim Sherwood.
2) Nicolas Anelka:
One of the famed journeymen of modern football, Nicolas Anelka joined Arsenal for just £500,000 in February 1997. He struggled in his first season but he excelled in Arsenal's 1997-98 double winning season and, like Arsenal's fifth most profitable player Marc Overmars, he scored in the 1998 FA Cup final. His form continued into the next season and he was voted PFA Young Player of the Year after finishing as Arsenal's top scorer in the Premier League.
He moved to Real Madrid that summer for £22.3m, a transfer record for Los Blancos. The move made Arsenal a profit of £21.8 million, with his transfer price increasing so dramatically in the two years he was at Arsenal. He left Real Madrid after a season and over his whole carrer he played for 12 different club, racking up nearly £90m in combined transfer fees. After controversy at West Brom that led to his release last year, he moved to India and is currently player manager of Indian Super League side Mumbai City.
1) Cesc Fabregas:
The sale of then captain Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona in 2011 remains the biggest amount of money Arsenal have ever got for a player. The fee has been quoted at anywhere between £34 million to £40 million made Arsenal a huge profit on him, as he moved to North London for free as a sixteen year old. Over his eight years at the club he was maturing into an Arsenal legend in the making. He was named a captain at just 21 years old and he was a fans favourite. Fabregas was Arsenal's best player at the time, and he was one if the best players in the Premier League.
Throughout his Arsenal carrer, Fabregas had expressed a desire to return to the Nou Camp and many fans understood this ans accepted his move to Barcelona in 2011. He was sold at a great price and despite not being replaced straight away, many players have grown into the tole Fabregas once used to occupy. His move to Chelsea last year tarnished many of the fond memories Arsenal fans once had of him, and his transfer fee had been tarnished as well moving to Stamford Bridge for £10 million less then he left Arsenal.
