Arsenal managed to get the capture of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang over the line just in time on the January 2018 transfer deadline day. The former Borussia Dortmund striker made the switch to the Emirates in a three-and-a-half year deal reported to be worth £56 million. Since moving from Highbury to the Emirates, the Gunners have broken their transfer fee a number of times and brought in some impressive talent. Could Aubameyang be the best yet at the North London Stadium?
Arsenal spent 93 years at the Arsenal Stadium, otherwise known as Highbury or the "Home of Football", before moving to the much larger Emirates Stadium in 2006. The capacity of this classic ground was just over 38,000, while the newer ground that they reside in now can hold nearly 60,000. As such, it is the third-largest stadium in England behind Wembley and Old Trafford.
Because the Emirates project was so expensive, it took a while for the club to have the money to bring in ready-made world class players. Instead, Arsene Wenger's job was to spot young prospects and turn them into stars. This, he achieved with a number of players including Cesc Fabregas and Van Persie, who together were purchased for less than £3million and sold for more than £45 million.
When Arsenal splashed around £42.5 million on Mesut Ozil in 2013 it marked their willingness to spend big on players who had already made names for themselves. At this point, they had finished paying for the stadium and were beginning to start generating healthy profits. Fans were ecstatic about the acquisition of Real Madrid star, and since then the club have forked out some other sizeable transfer fees on elite players, including Alexis Sanchez for £31.7 million in 2014, and Alexandre Lacazette in the summer of 2017 for £52.7 million.
Of all the big names that Arsenal have brought to the Emirates in recent years, Aubameyang could be the hottest property. Although Dortmund are enduring a poor campaign and can be backed at around 80/1 in the Bundesliga betting to win the league this term, the Gabon international has managed to fire 13 goals in 16 appearances. During his time at the Westfalenstadion, Aubameyang has cemented his position as one of the very best goal scorers in the world of football. The 28-year-old has averaged a goal every 116 minutes in the German top flight, a record which is bettered only by Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandoski. In 144 league games in Germany, Aubameyang has scored a hugely impressive 98 goals.
While there is no doubt that Sanchez brought serious star quality to the Emirates during his time there, Aubameyang has the potential to outdo the Chilean. It remains to be seen where the new signing will fit into Wenger's attack, but with Lacazette off the boil, the former Dortmund man could instantly slot in at the forefront of the attack. If he can bring his dangerous Bundesliga form to the Premier League, he could be the best signing ever to have arrived at the Emirates.
