The Gunners received £30m when Fabregas completed his protracted move to Camp  Nou in August and they collected £24m when Nasri joined English Premier League rivals City in the same month.

In total, Arsenal gained £63m from the sale of players, with their figures also boosted by the departure of Gael Clichy to City and Emmanuel Eboue to Galatasaray.

Arsene Wenger been criticised in the past for a perceived lack of investment in his team, but in 2011 Arsenal spent £74.3m on their playing staff, including transfer fees and wages.

New arrivals include Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who cost £12m from Southampton, Gervinho from Lille (£10.5m) and Mikel Arteta from Everton (£10m).

Arsenal's non-executive chairman Peter Hill-Wood told the club's official website: "We are proud of Arsenal's record and consistency over many seasons and have the foundations in place, at every level of the club, to ensure we remain a force in the seasons ahead."