7. Nicolas Anelka – 1997, £500,000
From a financial standpoint, Anelka’s signing was probably Wenger’s most important, as it highlighted what his blueprints for the club were over a long term period.
Anelka arrived in England as a petulant teenager for a meagre sum of money but quickly became a household name with a series of explosive performances that belied his tender years.
And then 23 goals in 65 appearances later he was sold to Spanish giants Real Madrid for £22m in 1999, and though he never fulfilled his potential with the Gunners, his contribution and sale set the club up for success further down the road.