With Gonzalo Higuain on the verge of joining Arsenal - were the north London club's previous record signings hits or misses?

With Gonzalo Higuain on the verge of joining Arsenal - were the north London club's previous record signings hits or misses?

• 1/10

  1. Jose Antonio Reyes:
  The former Sevilla forward signed in 2003 for a record £17.6m, a fee that still tops the tables as Arsenal’s most expensive ever signing. Reyes scored an own goal in just his second game, but went on to feature for the club in 2004/05 and the Champions League final run in 2005/6. He became just the second ever player to be sent –off in an FA Cup final, when Arsenal beat Manchester United in 2005, and he left for Real Madrid on a season-long loan in 2006 having scored 16 goals in 69 appearances, before leaving permanently to Atletico Madrid in 2007.
  Verdict: Miss

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• 2/10

  2. Santi Cazorla:
  Another Spanish import, Cazorla joined from Malaga at the beginning of last season in what looked to be a good signing for the Gunners. The attacking midfielder has been hugely instrumental in securing Champions League football once again for Wenger’s side, and the £16.7m fee looks like it will pay off significantly. Scored 12 goals in 38 appearances last term.
  Verdict: Hit

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• 3/10

  3. Sylvain Wiltord:
  The French striker/winger had scored a stoppage-time equaliser in the 2000 European Championships, which France went on to win, when a £15.4m transfer was agreed with Bordeaux to bring Wiltord to north London. Wiltord played 175 times for Arsenal, scoring 49 times, and fans will eternally remember him for scoring the winner at Old Trafford to clinch the 2001/2 Premier League.
  Verdict: Hit

• 4/10

  4. Andrey Arshavin:
  Arshavin joined from Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg in 2009 for £14.5m and quickly went about strutting his stuff at the Emirates. His four goals against Liverpool announced his goal-scoring prowess, but it all seemed to go downhill from there. He made 144 appearances for the club before leaving on a free last month, netting 31 times, but 28 of those came between 2009 and 2011.
  Verdict: Miss

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• 5/10

  5. Thierry Henry:
  Arsenal’s record goal-scorer of all time, Henry holds legendary status at the club where everything just clicked. Adored by the fans he adored, Henry scored 228 goals in 377 appearances, and he led Arsenal to the Champions League final in 2006 before moving to the Emirates stadium the following year. Having signed from Juventus for £14.1m in 1999, Henry will forever be remembered by not just Arsenal fans, but all for years to come.
  Verdict: Hit

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• 6/10

  6. Samir Nasri:
  The French international joined from Marseille in 2008 for £14m as Wenger looked to reshape his squad. Nasri was instrumental in maintaining Arsenal’s top-four status, and filled the rather large boots left by Cesc Fabregas’ when the captain was injured for long periods of time. Despite his controversial move to rivals Manchester City, there is no doubting that his performances for the Gunners were on occasion magical.
  Verdict: Hit

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• 7/10

  7. Francis Jeffers:
  The much travelled England striker signed from Everton in 2001 for an inflated fee of £13.4m. Jeffers struggled to make an impact during his time at Arsenal, having scored eight goals in his 39 appearances before he was sold for just over £3m in 2004.
  Verdict: Miss

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• 8/10

  8. Aleksandr Hleb:
  The Belarusian midfielder joined Arsenal from Stuttgart in 2005 for £13.2m and was a prominent figure in the Champions League final campaign. Despite playing for only three years – making 130 appearances – fans maintained a love of Hleb even after he left for Barcelona, with his creative style of play applauded around Highbury and the Emirates.
  Verdict: Hit

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• 9/10

  9. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain:
  Arsenal made no secret of their pursuit of the Southampton youngster, and they finally got their man – technically, teenager as he was just 17 – in 2011 when he joined for a rather large £12.1m. The midfielder has already made 50 appearances at the tender age of 19, scoring six goals along the way, but much, much more is expected to come in the next few years.
  Verdict: Watch this space…

• 10/10

  10: Eduardo:
  The Brazilian-turned-Croatian joined in 2007 for £11.8m from Croatian First League champions Dinamo Zagreb. Unfortunately, his time at the club will be remembered for the horrific injury he suffered in 2008 at Birmingham, and he departed the club in 2010 for Shakhtar Donetsk. Despite his horror broken leg, he still holds a fairly impressive record of 20 goals in 67 appearances.
  Verdict: Miss

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