2. Etienne Capoue (Tottenham)
Another option for Arsenal could have been a player who ended up signing for their arch rivals Tottenham. Etienne Capoue was linked strongly with the Gunners on several occasions during his time in Ligue 1 with Toulouse, but was snapped up by Spurs for just £9.3m, a very generous price for a quality defensive midfield player. The 25-year-old would have been another cheap option for Wenger, and surely a superior signing to Flamini, as he has shown in his strong start for Spurs.
Capoue faces a spell on the sidelines now after picking up an injury in the North London Derby, but already looks like one of many good pieces of business by Tottenham this summer, and one of many misses by Arsenal in the transfer market.