The Gunners have been rather disappointing in recent times, but they've had some special players who at one point in their careers played for Spanish giants, Real Madrid.

With the move of the Norwegian skipper, Martin Ødegaard, from Madrid to Arsenal soon to be confirmed, here are some of the big names to have donned the colours of both clubs.

While there are more, I have decided to go through the 5 players who really caught the eye, either with a shocking move, or solid performance.

5. Lassana Diarra

The combative French midfielder had a rather disappointing start to the 2007/08 season with Arsenal, starting just 8 of the 12 games he was involved in before pushing for a move to Portsmouth to get his career back on track. Who would have thought that after only 12 months, Madrid would come calling and he'd enjoy a successful 4-year spell at the capital club?

4. Nicolas Anelka

With a beautiful spell at the London club, it was here this young Frenchman really found his footing to becoming a star. Only just 17 years, he caught the eyes with his performances. Six goals in his first full season, and another 17 more in the next, Madrid came calling for the signature of the young lad. Arsenal smiled to the bank with a £20 million profit on the player.

Things didn't turn out the way everyone would expect, and Madrid cut their losses when they shipped him off to PSG 12 months later. He managed just 2 goals and 5 assists in 19 La Liga games.

3. Jose Antonio Reyes

With 23 goals and 25 assists in 110 appearances coupled with a league triumph, the Spaniard enjoyed a successful 3-year spell with the Gunners before moving via 12-month loan spell to the Spanish capital with a player moving the other way.

Reyes put on a solid display for Madrid, scoring 2 goals on the season finale to win the league and steal the show on David Beckham's final game for the club.

Most of the rest of his career was spent in Spain, particularly for boyhood club, Villareal. He lost his life tragically in a car crash at the age of 35.

Julior Baptista?

2. Mesut Özil

Magician with the ball to feet, vision like an eagle, the Wizard of Oz as he's fondly called in some quarters, Mesut comes 2nd on this list.

First catching the eye in the Bundesliga with Schalke 04, the German earned a move to the Bernabeu where he enjoyed a stellar partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Leaving Spain with a record of 80 assists in 159 games, Ozil became Arsenal's most expensive signing on deadline day in the summer window of 2013 to the delight of many.

He helped Arsenal to 3 FA Cups and copped 18 PL assists in one season, but that was really the much the player could do. His career took a downturn with several political scandals off the pitch and lackadaisical attitude on the pitch which earned him the term, “lazy.”

He's since been moved on to the land of his father, Turkey, wearing the colours of Fernabahçe.

1. Emmanuel Adebayor

Rather surprisingly, this Togolese rebel tops my list because he made the most unlikely move to the Spanish capital.

Adebayor had developed into an hero at Arsenal with 62 goals in 142 appearances between 2006 and 2009 before Man City came calling with a bumper contract. The player jumped at the deal rather easily and forced the move much to the distaste of the Gunners faithfuls.

The move to City didn't quite work to plan and he was loaned surprisingly to Madrid! His return of 8 goals in 22 games for the club flattered to deceive and he couldn't convince Man City to keep him when his loan expired.

Arsenal fans, look away...

The next time he'd play was in the colours of Tottenham Hotspur. Cringe.

Others are:

- Martin Ødegaard

- Dani Ceballos

- Julio Baptista

- Davor Sukar