Sanchez was a big move, as was Bergkamp’s, but Ozil just seemed huge. Arsenal's failure to sign proven world class talent had been a familiar lament since their last title in 2004, so when they finally spent big it was an exciting moment for Gunners fans. Ozil is a huge name in world football and when Arsenal persuaded Real Madrid to sell him in 2013, it was said his team-mates at the Bernabeu, including Cristiano Ronaldo, were not happy with the decision. At £42.5million, no one could accuse Arsenal of scrimping on this deal.
Although it hasn’t quite worked out the way he and Bournemouth fans had hoped, at the time the deal appeared to be a strong statement of intent from the club.