Signed by Emery, now worth 225% more: Arsenal hit the jackpot on ‘WORLD-CLASS’ signing

Arsenal today is virtually unrecognizable from the team Unai Emery left Mikel Arteta in December 2019. When Emery took charge in the summer of 2018, he was tasked with guiding the Gunners into a post-Arsene Wenger era. While he managed to implement some positive changes, he ultimately made more missteps than successes.

Under Emery, the team struggled significantly in attack and was even worse defensively, appearing to drift toward a bottom-half finish in the Premier League. This decline in performance eventually led to his dismissal, as the team seemed to be sleepwalking through matches without a clear identity or direction. Arteta has since transformed the squad, bringing a renewed sense of purpose and competitiveness to the club.

However, for all the dreadful performances and confusing decisions Unai Emery made in North London, he was responsible for a few notable signings, including one whose valuation has skyrocketed since.

Emery’s Smart Signings

Before we highlight the player in question, it’s worth acknowledging a couple of other intelligent acquisitions made by Emery. One such signing is Bernd Leno, a goalkeeper who is no longer at the club but made a strong impact during his time at the Emirates. Leno provided stability between the posts and was a reliable presence for the Gunners, showcasing his shot-stopping ability and contributing to the team’s defensive efforts.

Despite the mixed results of his tenure, Leno’s signing is a testament to Emery’s capability to identify talent that could benefit the squad.

Bernd-Leno

The German goalkeeper joined Arsenal in June 2018 for a fee of around £19 million. While he wasn’t a household name at the time, he quickly established himself as a key player for the Gunners with his exceptional shot-stopping ability.

Over the next three seasons, the former Bayer Leverkusen ace made 117 appearances for Arsenal, achieving an impressive 34 clean sheets despite playing for a team that struggled defensively. His contributions in goal provided a sense of security and highlighted his value to the squad during a challenging period for the club.

Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli celebrates after Newcastle United's Fabian Schar scores an own goal and Arsenal's second

The now 23-year-old has struggled at points during his time with the Gunners, notably last season, as a drop in output from the campaign prior led to questions over his place in the team, questions which some may still hold today.

However, the fact he’s racked up an impressive tally of 45 goals and 27 assists in 192 appearances for the club, 135 of which have been starts, makes it impossible to describe his transfer as anything other than a roaring success, especially when you take into account the minuscule transfer fee he initially cost the club.

With that said, there was another teenager signed in the same summer, and it’s fair to say he has been an even bigger success than the Brazilian, as evidenced by his enormous valuation.

Emery’s Best Signing at Arsenal

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the player in question is none other than centre-back extraordinaire William Saliba. Since joining Arsenal, Saliba has made a significant impact with his commanding presence in defense, exceptional reading of the game, and ability to play out from the back. His performances have not only solidified his position as a key player for the Gunners but have also led to a dramatic increase in his market value, positioning him among the top defenders in the game today.

Gyokeres-Saliba

The French international joined Arsenal in a £27m deal from Ligue 1 side Saint-Étienne in July 2019, although he wouldn’t play for Emery. In fact, he wouldn’t play a competitive game for the Gunners until the 22/23 season.

This was because he was sent back to Saint-Étienne on loan for the 19/20 season, and then Arteta opted to send him on loan to OGC Nice and Marseille for the subsequent seasons, leading some to question whether the Bondy-born ace even had a future in North London at all.

Fortunately, the club took no notice of such speculation and finally incorporated him into the team for the 22/23 season, and lo and behold, the highly-rated defender picked up the Man of the Match award on his first start for the club on the opening day of the Premier League season, away to Crystal Palace.

From that point onwards, the 6 foot 4 “monster,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been indispensable for the Gunners.

In fact, the only time William Saliba has been out of the Arsenal lineup was due to an unfortunate back injury sustained against Sporting CP in March 2023. This injury is often cited as a turning point in the club’s surprise title challenge that season, underscoring just how crucial he is to the team.

Dubbed a “world-class” defender by Fabrizio Romano, Saliba has made 101 appearances for Arsenal, scoring five goals and providing two assists. He has also been named in the PFA Team of the Year for both 2023 and 2024, reinforcing U23 scout Antonio Mango’s assertion that he is “one of the best in the world.”

Unsurprisingly, Saliba’s rise to prominence has seen his valuation soar. According to the CIES Football Observatory, he is now worth approximately €106 million (around £88 million), representing a remarkable increase of about 225% from the price Arsenal initially paid for him in 2019.

Ultimately, while Unai Emery may have made several missteps during his tenure in North London, signing Saliba was not one of them. Arsenal fans should be grateful he made that transfer when he did, as they now have one of the finest defenders in the world on their roster.