Mikel Arteta’s transformation of Arsenal has been nothing short of phenomenal, taking the club from strugglers to Premier League title challengers in just a couple of years.
When the Spaniard took over, the Gunners were a mess on the pitch, finishing eighth after taking over midway through the 2019/20 season, which was impacted by the COVID pandemic.
However, just a handful of years later, the 42-year-old developed the squad into title challengers, becoming Manchester City’s closest challengers in the 2022/23 season – but they narrowly missed out on a first league title since the invincible campaign.
The club’s investment in players all over the pitch such as Gabriel, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus, has allowed for the rapid transformation – with credit needing to be handed out to the recruitment team.
Despite their activity in the market, the club also have their academy to thank, with the emergence of one star undoubtedly bolstering their title ambitions in recent times.
Bukayo Saka’s time in Arsenal’s first-team
After making his first-team debut back in the 2018/19 campaign, winger Bukayo Saka rapidly integrated himself into a star at the Emirates – becoming the latest gem out of the club’s Hale End academy.
It was the following campaign that the Englishman made a name for himself, registering 16 goal contributions during his first full season as a first-team member.
Since then, the 23-year-old hasn’t looked back, becoming a key player under Arteta and producing some phenomenal numbers over the last couple of years.
The 2022/23 season saw Saka burst into life, registering 26 goals or assists as the Gunners narrowly missed out on the Premier League title.
It’s also allowed him to become a regular player in the England national side, featuring at Euro 2020 along with the World Cup in 2022 and the recent European Championships, as the nation fell to a defeat against Spain in the final.
However, despite all his recent successes, he still earns less than one player who failed to make his mark during his stint in North London.
The man who earned more than Saka at Arsenal
Alexis Sanchez was a huge part of Arsenal’s success during the latter years of Arsène Wenger’s tenure at the Emirates – but his move to Manchester United sparked a swap deal between the two clubs.
The Chilean attacker moved to Old Trafford in January 2018, a deal that saw attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan move to North London as part of the transfer.
The Armenian star arrived with high hopes given his experience at the top level, but whilst he demonstrated moments of magic, his spell with the Gunners overall was a disappointing one.
He made only made 59 appearances during his 18-month stint at the club, scoring nine times after arriving under legendary boss Wenger.
2017/18
17
3
6
2018/19
39
6
7
2019/20
3
0
0
Total:
59
9
13
Mkhitaryan, who was previously dubbed as “disappointing” by journalist Stuart Mathieson, pocketed a huge sum whilst featuring for the Gunners, earning £200k-per-week, as per Capology.
His subsequent earnings are higher than current Arsenal star Saka who pockets a reported £195k-per-week at the Emirates after his recent emergence over the last few years.
When combining Mkhitaryan’s total earnings during his time in North London, he cost the club a whopping £15.6m in wages – a huge sum given his lack of consistent impact at the Emirates.
Whilst his experience could’ve certainly helped Arsenal during a tricky period on the pitch, the move never worked out with the midfielder costing the club a small fortune.
They made the right call in parting ways with the Armenian international at the time they did, preventing them from losing any more money after a failed 18-month stint at the club.
Arsenal wasted £90m on Emirates flop who earned more than Raya & Gabriel
The move was a complete disaster for both parties.
1 ByEthan LambOct 10, 2024