A new striker is the missing piece between Arsenal being Premier League title contenders or not next season. Viktor Gyökeres has been heavily linked recently, but the Gunners and Sporting Lisbon are at a stalemate in negotiations.
Arsenal's recruitment used to be very good, and under Arsène Wenger, they won the Premier League three times. However, a lot of the club's finances went on paying for their move to the Emirates Stadium from Highbury in 2006.
The Gunners have not won English soccer's top flight since moving home and had to sell many of their top players. Arsenal have had a renaissance in recent seasons under Mikel Arteta. However, if Arteta cannot deliver a Premier League title, then he will be deemed an underachiever.
Recruitment will be key to whether Arteta is a success or not. The Gunners could do with having some of their legendary players back in their prime. Here are the five greatest signings in Arsenal history.
5. Sol Campbell - Free transfer from Tottenham Hotspur
Sol Campbell was a hero at Arsenal's rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. However, the defender ran his contract down at Spurs and crossed the North London divide to join the Gunners. This made him the ultimate Judas figure for Tottenham fans.
From a soccer perspective, Campbell made the right decision in joining Arsenal. He won the Premier League twice with the Gunners and made it to the Champions League final. The center-back starred for England too, gaining 73 caps.
Following his spell at Arsenal, Campbell played for Portsmouth, Notts County, had a second stint with the Gunners before ending his career with Newcastle United. However, his managerial career has been less successful with brief spells at challenging jobs at Macclesfield Town and Southend United.
4. David Seaman - £1.3 million from Queens Park Rangers
The chant 'One-nil to the Arsenal' is a popular one with Gunners supporters. This is because they often would score and then shut up shop. Arsenal had a fantastic record of keeping clean sheets, and this was because they had a fantastic goalkeeper in David Seaman. Credit must also go to the back four in front of him, which consisted of Tony Adams, Steve Bould, Lee Dixon, and Nigel Winterburn.
Seaman joined from Queens Park Rangers and went on to make 563 appearances for the Gunners. He won the Premier League twice and the old First Division. The keeper also won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with Arsenal, which remains their last ever European trophy. Seaman now hosts his podcast called Seaman Says.
3. Patrick Vieria - £3.5 million from AC Milan
Patrick Vieira is remembered for being an all-action midfielder who had a fierce rivalry with then-Manchester United captain Roy Keane. Vieria was the linchpin to Arsenal's midfield that won three Premier League titles.
Following his spell with Arsenal, Vieira returned to Italy with Juventus. He later played for Inter Milan and then moved back to England with Manchester City. He then stayed in the City Football Group by becoming the head coach of New York City FC.
Vieria's managerial career took him to the Premier League with Crystal Palace, but he lasted just two years at Selhurst Park. However, he is now back rebuilding his reputation with Genoa.
2. Dennis Bergkamp - £7.5 million from Inter Milan
The 'Non-Flying Dutchman', as he was nicknamed for his fear of flying. However, Dennis Bergkamp was anything but timid on the soccer field. Bergkamp made 422 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 120 goals and providing 116 assists. Many of his finishes were outstanding, such as his inspired one against Newcastle United, which is well worth a search on YouTube if you have not seen it.
Bergkamp's refusal to travel by plane hindered him as he was unable to feature in certain European ties for the Gunners. However, his contribution to the club more than made up for a few missed games. Since retiring, Bergkamp has held coaching roles with Ajax and is now the assistant at Almere City FC U23.
1. Thierry Henry - £10.7 million from Juventus
Another great Arsenal recruit from Serie A was Thierry Henry. The Frenchman only played 20 times for Juventus, and the club was set to send him to Udinese. However, Arsenal swooped in and the rest is history.
He broke Ian Wright's record for the most Arsenal goals, which Henry still holds with 228. Henry won the Premier League twice with the Gunners before departing for Barcelona. His move to Barça appears to have his divorce being a contributing factor. However, the legendary player did return for a loan spell with the Gunners whilst he was at the New York Red Bulls.
Since retiring, Henry has tried his hand at coaching and was most recently the manager of the French Olympic football team. That team won a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics. He still has ambitions in coaching. However, Henry is also a very popular pundit on CBS' Champions League coverage alongside Kate Scott, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards.