Arsenal and Real Madrid have a history of conducting business together in the transfer market. That could be extended if the Gunners make an official approach for Vinicius Jr, who has been linked with a move to north London after entering the final year of his contract in Spain.
Julio Baptista
Julio Baptista, nicknamed 'The Beast' for his physical presence, joined Arsenal on loan during the 2006/07 season from Real. Arsene Wenger had previously tried to convince the attacker to head to north London but he opted for Spain instead. Jose Antonio Reyes went to Real while Baptista headed to Arsenal but he struggled to adapt to the English game. He scored just three Premier League goals across 24 appearances but found some form in cup competitions, notably scoring four against Liverpool at Anfield in a League Cup quarter-final. Throughout his career, which included stints at Sevilla, Roma, Sao Paulo and CFR Cluj, Baptista scored 141 goals and assisted 34 times.
Mesut Ozil
In 2013, Arsenal broke their club transfer record by securing Mesut Ozil for £42.5m. The attacking midfielder spent three years at Real, scoring 27 goals and assisting 80 times across 159 appearances. He became the most expensive German player of all time with his transfer to Arsenal. Florian Wirtz now holds that title with his £116m move to Liverpool. Ozil's time at the Gunners was just as prolific as his playmaking in Spain, making 121 goal contributions and winning four FA Cups. The Germany international also won the World Cup one year after signing for Arsenal and earned 97 caps for his country. However, the midfielder's time in north London ended on a sour note as he was left out of matchday squads and eventually departed the club in 2021. He had stints at Fenerbahce and Istanbul Basaksehir before retiring in 2023.
Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard became Real's next wonderkid with his transfer from Stromsgodset in 2015. The midfielder only made 11 official appearances for the La Liga giants but was a teenager during the majority of his career in Spain. Odegaard got his first minutes for Real after coming on for Cristiano Ronaldo at the age of 16 years and 157 days old—and he still remains the club's youngest ever debutant to this day. After loans to Vitesse and Real Sociedad, the midfielder joined Arsenal temporarily to play the second half of the 2020/21 season. He then made this move permanent, signing for the Gunners in a deal worth an initial £30m. Just a year later, Odegaard was made club captain and has gone from strength to strength since. Across 234 appearances, the 27-year-old has made 88 goal contributions and recently helped win Arsenal's first Premier League title since 2004. He is contracted to the Gunners until 2028.
