They might not have brought a Premier League title with them, but Arsenal have signed some truly world-class players during their time at the Emirates.
Alexis Sanchez, for example, was an unstoppable force in his pomp, and while he tailed off towards the end, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was at one point a lethal centre-forward.
However, when it comes to the most prestigious signing made during the Emirates era, it's impossible to look past Mesut Özil.
Mesut Ozil 2019
The German international was a mercurial footballer, but one whose time at the club didn't end particularly well, and now one of Mikel Arteta's signings might be going down a similar path.
What went wrong for Mesut Ozil at Arsenal
There have been countless memorable moments from transfer deadline day over the years, but for Arsenal fans, the one that simply has to stand out among the rest was the last-minute announcement of Ozil's signing in 2013.
It was incredible to see one of the world's best midfielders leave Real Madrid for the Gunners, and while at that point, it felt like the club were going to go on to big things.
Things went reasonably well for the first few years, as in three seasons the German helped the club win a couple of FA Cups and racked up 61 goal involvements.
However, as things went increasingly wrong in the later years of Arsène Wenger's reign, fans grew increasingly frustrated with the former Madrid star, who, after signing a £350k-per-week contract in January 2018, became less and less impactful in games.
Things only got worse for the World Cup winner under Unai Emery and then Arteta, who eventually took him out of the side altogether, with many pundits highlighting his lack of effort off the ball as a key reason.
mesut-ozil-arsenal
mesut-ozil-arsenal
Finally, in January 2021, seven and a half years after joining the club and one and a half years after effectively being frozen out, the magical midfielder left the Emirates, joining Fenerbahçe for free.
In all, Ozil made 254 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 44 goals and providing 75 assists, and while large swathes of the fanbase still love him, it's hard to deny that his final few years in red and white were poor.
Mesut-Ozil-Arsenal-stats (timeless)
Unfortunately, there is an argument to suggest that one of Arteta's current stars is going down a similar path.
Arsenal's modern Ozil
Now, you could certainly make the argument that there are a few Arsenal players who are underperforming somewhat this season, from Viktor Gyokeres to Gabriel Martinelli, outside of substitute appearances.
However, when talking about a player who could be looked at as the modern Ozil, it's impossible to ignore Martin Odegaard.
Like the German, the Norwegian is an international-level midfielder who, for £30m, moved from Real Madrid to Arsenal, where he's become a crucial member of the first team.
Odegaard-Arsenal
Moreover, like the World Cup winner, the Drammen-born maestro is someone who started his career in North London brilliantly, but has, in the last year and a bit, become somewhat less effective.
For example, in his third season at the club, the 26-year-old ended up scoring 15 non-penalty goals in the league alone, while also providing seven assists.
He then followed that up with 11 goals and 12 assists in 48 games the following year, but last season that dropped to six goals and 12 assists in 45 games.
Moreover, whether it was down to his injuries or something else, he wasn't having the impact he used to in the big games, with podcaster Rohan Jivan describing his performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final as "frustrating."
Odegaard's Arsenal Record
Season
20/21
21/22
22/23
23/24
24/25
25/26
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Things haven't been much better this season, as in 14 appearances, he has provided just two assists, and while he played some key passes against Everton on Saturday night, they didn't come to anything.
Ultimately, Odegaard is, in the words of content creator Connor Humm, a "sensational" footballer and one who can hopefully get back to his best this season.
Martin Odegaard stats vs Everton
However, as things stand, he has become a divisive player among the fans, and if he doesn't improve, he could end up becoming the new Ozil, and not in a good way.
Rice-Zubimendi-Arsenal Related
A dream for Zubimendi & Rice: Arsenal hold talks to sign £47m midfielder
The incredible prospect could be just what Arsenal, Rice and Zubimendi need.