Brazilians at Arsenal – not usually a recipe for success…
Arsenal are reportedly closing in on the signing of Brazilian centre-back Gabriel Paulista from La Liga side Villarreal, so here’s a look at the other six Samba stars who have played for the Gunners in the Premier League era, ranked from worst to best…
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6) Andre Santos
Overweight, error-prone, and far too focused on attacking, Brazilian left-back Andre Santos was awful for Arsenal and has to go down as one of Arsene Wenger’s worst signings.
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5) Denilson
Started brightly but faded badly, Denilson spent far too long at Arsenal despite clearly not being of the required quality.
4) Julio Baptista
Only one season on loan at Arsenal, but Julio Baptista failed to impress apart from one or two stand-out games, including a four-goal haul against Liverpool at Anfield. But we all know what happens to players who do that, don’t we, Andrey Arshavin?
3) Sylvinho
A solid left-back with an eye for the occasional spectacular goal, Sylvinho was a decent player for Arsenal but eventually lost his place to a certain Ashley Cole.
2) Edu
A good squad player and one who really hit form in Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ season, scoring some important goals in away wins at Liverpool and Chelsea.
1) Gilberto Silva
Undoubtedly the best of the bunch, Gilberto Silva gave Arsenal six years of good service and was one of the most under-rated midfielders in the Premier League at the time, protecting his back four superbly and scoring the occasional important goal.