Arsenal have posted the sixth-highest transfer deficit in the Premier League over the last 10 transfer windows, new data shows.
Thanks to new figures released by the CIES Football Observatory, the Gunners' transfer activity since the 2016 summer window has been put into perspective and shows the club have a problem when it comes to selling players to balance the books.
In this period Arsenal have spent a total of £515m on the likes of Thomas Partey, Nicolas Pepe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Shkodran Mustafi, Granit Xhaka, and William Saliba.
However, they have recouped £253m on sales which gives them a total deficit of £262m.
The list of departures does not include Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Sokratis, and Mustafi who have all left at some point in the last 10 transfer windows without the Gunners receiving a single penny.
With that said, the north London outfit's net transfer spend is not the worst in the Premier League nor among Europe's top five leagues.
Manchester City lead the way with a total deficit of £554m having spent £883m in the past 10 windows and just below them is Manchester United recording a loss of £413m.
The only club to have spent £1bn is La Liga giants Barcelona, although they've recoupled £614m which somewhat explains their debts of around £636m.
Net transfer spending since summer 2016
Manchester City
Money spent: £883m
Money earned: £329m
Total deficit: -£554m
Manchester United
Money spent: £730m
Money earned: £215m
Total deficit: -£515m
Barcelona
Money spent: £1bn
Money earned: £614m
Total deficit: -£413m
PSG
Money spent: £748m
Money earned: £349m
Total deficit: -£400m
Inter Milan
Money spent: £582m
Money earned: £243m
Total deficit: -£338m
Everton
Money spent: £614m
Money earned: £311m
Total deficit: -£303m
Aston Villa
Money spent: £356m
Money earned: £59m
Total deficit: -£297m
AC Milan
Money spent: £505m
Money earned: £233m
Total deficit: -£272m
Chelsea
Money spent: £848m
Money earned: £578m
Total deficit: -£270m
Arsenal
Money spent: £515m
Money earned: £253m
Total deficit: -£262m
This revelation should serve as a lesson to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and techical director Edu that the Gunners need to get better at player sales.
