We’ve pulled together all the details on the Spanish players to play for Arsenal, past and present. From Fabregas to Arteta and Merino, find out more here.
From club legends and cult heroes to forgotten favourites, there’s been a strong selection of Spanish Arsenal players throughout the years. But maybe you’d like a refresher? We’ve pulled together a round-up of Spanish Arsenal players, past and present, breaking down their time with the team and the legacy they’ve left behind in north London.
Read on for the full breakdown, or alternatively check out our list of the top 10 Arsenal players ever, and visit our football betting page to find out all the odds and markets for the Gunners’ next game.
Spanish Arsenal players with 100+ appearances
We’ll first turn our attention to the Spanish players with the most appearances for Arsenal: those who represented the club on more than 100 occasions.
Cesc Fàbregas
A name we’re sure any football fan will be familiar with is that of former captain and midfielder maestro Cesc Fàbregas. With a whopping 303 appearances between the years of 2003 and 2011, this makes him the Spanish player who played the most games for Arsenal.
After joining the club from the famed La Masia, Cesc made his debut at just 16 years and 177 days old in October 2003, and in doing so became the youngest first-team player in the history of the club. Only a few months later, he then went on to become their youngest-ever goalscorer – a feat that has still not been broken to this day.
During his time with the club, he played a crucial role in their winning of the FA Cup in 2005 and is still recognised as one of the best Arsenal midfielders ever.
Nacho Monreal
Monreal moved from La Liga side Málaga to Arsenal in the January 2013 transfer window, where he stayed until the summer of 2019, and made an impressive 251 appearances throughout these six and a half seasons – along with three FA Cup wins.
Hailed as a consistent and reliable player, the former Spanish Arsenal player was primarily a left-back but did end up moving into the centre half role after injury crisis in the squad – so it’s no surprise his childhood nickname, ‘La Cabra’ (the goat), ended up sticking.
Hector Bellerín
Another young star to join the club from the Barcelona youth academy, Bellerín made his Arsenal debut in September 2013 – though he was quickly loaned out to Watford!
Luckily, 2014/15 marked a breakout season for the full back, as he went on to make 20 league appearances and earned a place in the starting XI for the 2015 FA Cup Final (which the team won 4-0, against Aston Villa). But that was only one of the three FA Cup titles he would win with Arsenal, the other two being in 2017 and 2020.
After over 10 years with Arsenal and 239 appearances in all competitions, Bellerín returned to Spain and joined Real Betis on loan for the 2021/22 season. He joined Barcelona on a permanent deal in 2022, but went onto play for Sporting Lisbon in the same season, before rejoining Betis on a five-year deal in the summer of 2023.
Manuel Almunia
The first of two Spanish goalkeepers to play for Arsenal, Almunia made 175 appearances between 2004-2012. Initially, he was brought in as a backup goalkeeper to Jens Lehmann and made his debut against Manchester City in the League Cup in October 2004 (which ended in a 2-1 win).
The following season, though still firmly second-choice, after Lehmann saw red in the 2006 Champions League final, Almunia ended up auditioning on the biggest stage of all! The next season, he remained the club’s cup keeper, but eventually earned a regular first-team spot in the 2007/08 season.
One of his most memorable moments from his debut season as first-choice keeper has to be when he saved a penalty from Robbie Keane during a Premier League match against Tottenham, which was crucial in Arsenal winning the North London Derby 2-1.
Santi Cazorla
Another Spanish Arsenal player who came across from Málaga was Santi Cazorla, who signed a long-term deal for £10 million in August 2012. Starting off strong, he picked up man of the match on his debut against Sunderland and quickly became one of the standout players of the 2012/13 season – which helped him gain the title of Arsenal’s Player of the Season.
While primarily a technical attacking midfielder, he also played in several other midfield positions including central midfielder, winger, and deep-lying playmaker.
Unfortunately, it was long-term injury issues that led to his departure from the squad in 2018 where his achievements with team stood at 180 appearances, 29 goals, an two FA Cup wins (2014 and 2015).
Mikel Arteta
Former Arsenal Spanish player and captain Mikel Arteta joined the club from Everton in 2011. He went on to lead the Gunners to consecutive FA Cup victories in 2014 and 2015; the first of which ended Arsenal’s nine-year trophy drought. Despite leaving the club at the end of the 2015/16 season, Arsenal fans hadn’t seen the last of Arteta, as he returned as manager in December 2019 following a spell at City as a coach under Guardiola.
Jose Antonio Reyes
Reyes was a left winger and forward who joined during the January transfer window of the 2003/04 Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ season. Considered among the most promising young talents at the time, Reyes was a big-money signing for Arsenal with a fee of £10.5m eventually rising to £17m due to success-related bonuses.
Reyes started off the 2004/05 season strongly, managing to score in each of his first six matches. He was also named Premier League Player of the Month for August 2004 and ended the campaign with an FA Cup win.
Despite a strong start, by the end of his career with the Gunners, Reyes only managed to score 23 goals in 110 matches. The pacy winger returned to Spain in 2006 and had a successful career with clubs including Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.
Other Spanish players who have played for Arsenal
David Raya
David Raya, the other Spanish goalkeeper to appear in this round-up, first played for Arsenal during the 2023/24 season whilst on loan from Brentford. This was an initial £3 million loan deal with a purchase option of £27 million, which Arsenal activated in July ‘24.
Bringing the Spaniard in permanently was a no brainer, considering Raya was the outright winner of the 2023/24 Premier League Golden Glove – after keeping 16 clean sheets that season.
Following a strong first season, in December 2024, he also surpassed David Seaman’s record for the most clean sheets kept by an Arsenal goalkeeper in their first 50 appearances for the club (23 vs 22). Given that record stood unbroken for 31 years, we’re sure fans are looking forward to seeing what else is to come from him.
Dani Ceballos
Originally on a season-long loan from Real Madrid in 2019, Ceballos was quick to impress and provided two assists to defeat Burnley 2-1 in his first start, where he also deservedly picked up the Man of the Match award. Not only that, but he played the full 90 minutes in the 2020 FA Cup final, in which Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1.
With all that in mind, it wasn’t a surprise when Arsenal pursued another season-long loan for the central midfielder, for the 2020/21 season too. Sadly, the move was never made permanent though, and Ceballos returned to his parent club Real Madrid afterwards!
Mikel Merino
A recent signing for Arsenal, Mikel Merino signed a four-year deal in the 2024 summer transfer window for a reported fee of £31.6m. While it’s still early days for the midfielder, he’s already made an impact, and has even helped out up front when required. The former Real Sociedad man is strong in the tackle and has an eye for goal, having famously scored the winner for Spain against Germany in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
Pablo Marí
Centre half Pablo Marí made just 22 appearances for Arsenal between 2020-23, with most of his time at the club spent injured or on loan abroad. However, he was a useful depth option at the back for the Gunners, and fans will likely remember him from the ‘All or Nothing: Arsenal’ docuseries which covered the club during the 2021/22 season.
Lucas Pérez
Making 21 appearances during the 2016/17 season, 11 of those being league games, is Lucas Pérez. While his time with the club was short-lived, perhaps Pérez’ most notable moment in Arsenal colours came when he scored a hat-trick within 39 minutes during the Champions League match against Basel, a strong effort which ultimately helped them go on to win the group.
Fran Mérida
While not necessarily a household name, those who remember Fran Mérida may associate him with Arsene Wenger’s era of nurturing youth talent. As a prospect, he signed for the Arsenal academy from Barcelona, in the footsteps of many Gunners before him. Ultimately, though, despite making his competitive debut at the age of 17, he could only total 16 appearances between the years of 2007-10.
Ignasi Miquel
Former Spanish Arsenal defender, Ignasi Miguel, represented the team on 14 occasions across the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons – with his Premier League debut coming in August 2011, during a match against Liverpool, after injury to teammate and fellow defender Laurent Koscielny. His handful of appearances in an Arsenal shirt includes making his Champions League debut, against Olympiacos in December 2011.
Denis Suárez
Joining on loan from Barcelona for the 2018/19 season, Denis Suárez made a grand total of six appearances for Arsenal. While he was able to reunite with head coach at the time, Unai Emery – who he had previously worked with at Sevilla – the midfielder didn’t leave a lasting impact, and went on to sign with Celta Vigo the following season.