Arsene Wenger is famous for signing unheralded talent from around the world. Here are 18 of his finest purchases.
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Today marks the 18th anniversary of Arsene Wenger taking charge at Arsenal. His transfer policy has been a major talking point ever since, for better and for worse. Over almost two decades, Wenger has made some memorable moves in the transfer market.
18. Alexis Sanchez?– A £35m signing from Barcelona, the skilful Chilean is a rare Wenger purchase – a player who is the finished article rather than a project to be developed. The jury is still out on whether he will repay the hefty fee.
17. Laurent Koscielny– Many questioned Wenger’s decision to sign the French centre-back from second division Lorient after a shaky start, but he has developed into one of the Premier League’s best ball-playing defenders.
16. Santi Cazorla– Wenger swooped to sign the two-footed midfielder from cash-strapped Malaga for less than £15m, a magnificent piece of opportunism.
15. Fredrik Ljungberg – Signed for £3m from Halmstads, a true Arsene signing – unexpected, cheap, and successful.
14. Aaron Ramsey – The Welshman, who chose Arsenal over Manchester United thanks to Wenger’s persuasive powers, had his breakthrough year in 2013/2014, and will hope to continue his progress this season.
13. Jens Lehmann – Erratic and unpredictable, Jens was still the best keeper Wenger has signed, managing 79 clean sheets in 200 appearances.
12. Gilberto Silva – A case of “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”, defensive midfielder Silva was signed for £4.5m and his importance to the Invincibles was continually underestimated.
11. Emmanuel Petit – The Frenchman was signed from Monaco for just £2.5m, the whole deal made even sweeter by the way he was stolen at the last minute from under the noses of rivals Spurs.
10. Kolo Toure – Kolo has declined over the years, but it should not be forgotten that he was the beating heart of the “Invincibles” defence, purchased for just £150,000.
9. Marc Overmars -Wenger paid just £5.5m for the lightning-quick winger, who treated fans with outrageous skills and goals before leaving to Barcelona for £25m.
8. Robin Van Persie – Signed for a paltry £2.75m, he finally found his form in his last two seasons at Arsenal after struggling with injury for years.
7. Sol Campbell – His move to Arsenal on a free transfer from Spurs was certainly controversial, but also proved to be successful.
6. Nicolas Anelka – The controversial attacker was signed by Arsene for £500,000 and sold a few years later for an incredible £22.3m. Another gem plucked from obscurity.
5. Mesut Ozil – The German playmaker has yet to cement his place in Arsenal’s history, but his £42.5m signing is one of the most memorable in the club’s history, ushering in a new era of spending after the long years of austerity.
4. Robert Pires – The Frenchman was signed to replace the departing Marc Overmars. After a slow start, he went on to be a key part of the second generation of Wenger’s Arsenal team.
3. Patrick Vieira – The midfield titan signed for Arsenal before Arsene’s arrival, later revealing that he knew about his compatriot’s impending move to Highbury.
2. Cesc Fabregas– Cesc’s story has taken another twist with his move to Chelsea, with Wenger rejecting the chance to use the buyback clause built into the deal that took Fabregas to Barcelona. His signing on a free from Barcelona remains one of Arsene’s finest transfer deals.
1. Thierry Henry – The winger so famously converted into a striker by Wenger. £11m from Juventus, 228 goals in 337 starts. Need we say more?