Arsenal are a club that have turned their fortunes around entirely in recent years.
Mikel Arteta has taken a side that finished eighth twice in a row and turned them into genuine title contenders.
Much of this success has been built off the back of intelligent signings such as Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhães.
It's a far cry from the Gunners' poor recruitment of the past, including one signing that earned significantly more than the Brazilian does now.
How much Gabriel earns at Arsenal
Arsenal signed Gabriel from French side LOSC Lille for just £27m in the summer of 2020, and while he wasn't necessarily a name well-known to English fans at the time, he certainly is now.
Despite just arriving at the club, the São Paulo-born titan made his debut in the first Premier League game of the season. He got off to a flyer and scored the club's second goal as they ran out 3-0 winners.
GK – Bernd Leno
CB – Kieran Tierney
CB – Gabriel Magalhães
CB – Rob Holding
RWB – Hector Bellerin
CM – Granit Xhaka
CM – Mohamed Elneny
LWB – Ainsley Maitland-Niles
LW – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
RW – Willian
ST – Alexandre Lacazette
It wasn't entirely smooth sailing in that first season, though, as he would make just 32 appearances across all competitions, missing six through injury and spending 21 either on the bench or out of the squad altogether.
However, in the seasons since, his importance has grown massively. He's made 154 appearances for the team, in which he has a remarkable return of 15 goals and one assist, making him the highest-scoring centre-back in the league since he joined.
These consistent performances from Arsenal's defensive "fighter," as he was dubbed by former Lille president Gerard Lopez, resulted in him signing a new contract in October 2022 that increased his £50k-per-week wages to £100k-per-week, and it's hard to say he's not worth it in today's market, especially as the Gunners used to pay someone a lot less effective a lot more money.
How much Danny Welbeck earned at Arsenal
In the dying embers of the 2014 summer transfer window, Arsenal made the shocking move to sign Danny Welbeck from traditional rivals Manchester United for around £16m.
It was a move that left fans and pundits scratching their heads, but with 26 England caps to his name at the time, there was some excitement at the Emirates that he could be the man to lead them back to the title.
His first season in north London was a mixed one, as his return of eight goals and six assists in 34 games was slightly underwhelming, but he scored the winner against United in an FA Cup Quarter Final, a moment fondly remembered by Arsenal fans everywhere.
However, while he was a well-liked player and one who clearly had talent, his final tally of 32 goals and 15 assists in 126 appearances across his five seasons at the club was disappointing, especially considering his wages.
Transfer Fee
£16m
Total Wages
£31m
Total Cost
£47m
Appearances
126
Goals
32
Cost per Goal
£1.5m
Assists
15
Cost per Assist
£3.1m
Goal Involvements
47
Cost per Goal Involvement
£1m
During the first three years of his deal, the Manchester-born forward earned £115k-per-week, which then increased to a whopping £125k-per-week for his final two years at the club, meaning he earned about £31m during his stint in N5.
Combine that with his £16m transfer fee and the former Red Devil cost Arsenal around £1.5m-per-goal, or £1m-per-goal involvement, making it hard to call his time at the club a success.
Arsenal paid £7.3m per goal for a flop who earned more than Trossard does
The tricky star couldn’t recreate his magic in red and white.
ByJack Salveson Holmes
Ultimately, Welbeck was a victim of his injuries, missing 153 games in total during his time at the Emirates, and while he probably wishes it could've gone better, his recent resurgence at Brighton & Hove Albion has reminded the league just how good he can be.