There are few superlatives that haven’t been used to describe Arsène Wenger’s cunning when it comes to signing players at Arsenal. The envy of every manager he has unearthed some fantastic footballers while only paying only a pittance for their services. Players like Patrick Viera, Cesc Fabregas and Kolo Toure are just a few world-class players stewarded to considerable success by the French manager.
Nevertheless, Monsieur Wenger is not completely blemish free; the respected tactician has made his fair share of transfer market misdemeanours while Arsenal manager...even if it some have been brushed under the carpet by the Emirates faithful.
Here at Sport.co.uk, we’ve chosen the Top Ten dodgy signings during the Frenchman's reign at Arsenal; a list of players, in no particular order, who’ve shown that even Le Professeur can get it wrong sometimes.
Francis Jeffers-
You could argue that the majority of Wenger’s flops were cheap. Not Francis Jeffers; the former Evertonian was both expensive and useless. Hyped to the heavens, this so-called ‘fox in the box’ was anything but and proved that even Wenger has his off-days. And what an off day the professor must have been having to splash out £9m on this striker. In 22 appearances for the Gunners he managed only four goals and displayed none of the talent that had led to the big-money move in the first place. Maybe, just maybe, Arsenal fans have Francis to thank for Wenger’s notoriously frugal approach to transfers these days.
Richard Wright-
You can hardly blame Wenger for signing mainly foreigners; the manager seems cursed to sign promising Englishmen who ultimately fail to make the grade. Seen as the long-term replacement to David Seaman for both England and Arsenal, big things were expected of this young keeper. After his transfer from Ipswich his potential failed to materialise. Wright endured a torrid time at Arsenal; to call it a disaster would be kind. A series of high-profile mistakes, that would make even Fabsianski blush, saw the Ipswich born shot-stopper shipped off to Everton, were his poor form continued. Here’s hoping young Theo doesn’t suffer a similar fate!
Pascal Cygan-
Few players in the English Premier League have looked as out of their depth as Pascal Cygan. Costing Arsenal £2m from Lille he looked a good buy. At Lille he was a key player and captained the team. At Arsenal he was an absolute embarrassment. The player just didn’t seem cut out for football in the Premier League. Slow off the mark, poor positioning and prone to high-profile mistakes, he lacked all the traits one would associate with a centre-back. One positive about Pascal? He was sold to Villarreal for roughly what Arsenal paid.
Kaba Diawara-
One of the first flops signed by Arsène Wenger, Diawara failed to make a mark at Arsenal. He also failed to score any goals, which is a bit of a problem if you’re a striker. Signed as an unknown for a relatively small fee, there was a hope that this French-born Guinean footballer would turn out to be a real gem. Sadly, it never happened. Often brought on as an impact sub, the player failed to do exactly that and had more success at hitting the goal posts than the back of the net- as a game against Sheffield highlighted.
Nelson Vivas-
Having to compete against two top-class fullbacks-Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn-was never going to be easy. Such a task is made even more difficult when you’re a decidedly average player. When Nelson Vivas was signed from Boca Juniors, fans were hoping for some South American style on the flanks. Instead they got a very unremarkable defender. His most infamous moment in an Arsenal shirt came when he missed a penalty in the shootout against Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup Fourth Round. What’s most curious about this player is he’s somehow made nearly 40 appearances for Argentina’s national team.
Igors Stepanovs-
A name most Arsenal fans would rather forget, Igors Stepanovs was another centre-back who looked completely out of his depth in the English Premier League. Arriving from Skonta Riga as an unknown quantity, the Latvian defender did little for his reputation whilst at Arsenal. In Manchester Utd’s 6-1 annihilation of Arsenal, his lack of ability was ruthlessly exposed. It wasn’t long before he was shown the door and he went on to disappoint at a number of other clubs including Beveren and Grasshopper. It almost makes you glad to have Mikaël Silvestre and Sol Campbell waiting in the wings. Almost.
Alberto Mendez-
The only thing this signing showed was that Wenger has a legion of scouts all over the world, scouring every league imaginable. Signed after being spotted playing for German non-league club FC Feucht, Mendez came to Arsenal, hung around for 5 years, didn’t get played much and eventually returned to the German lower leagues. Once again, it’s difficult to understand what the manager saw in this midfielder. In his 5 years at Arsenal, he made only 11 appearances for the Gunners and showed little talent or ability. Costing the club virtually nothing, Arsenal got what they paid for with this player.
Stefan Malz-
Ask an Arsenal fan to name Germans who’ve played for their team, and after Jens Lehmann, they’ll probably struggle. Unsurprising when we consider Stefan Malz’s Arsenal career. After Wenger signed this midfielder from 1860 Munich back in 1999 the player went on to make a few appearances and achieve very little in England. After a number of lacklustre performances for the Gunners, it makes one wonder what the professor saw in the player to start off with. The midfielders proudest moment sums up his career for Arsenal; a winning goal in the League Cup against Preston North End.
Tomas Danilevicius-
Arsène Wenger has discovered some fine strikers since taking over at Arsenal. Players like Nicolas Anelka and Emmanuel Adebayor arrived as unknowns and left as fantastic players. After signing this Lithuanian striker for £1m from FC Lausanne, it quickly became apparent he had signed an unknown who would leave an unknown. Danilevicius was signed after impressing on trial with the Gunners, although how is something we’ll never know. After three faceless substitute appearances the player was loaned out to Dunfermline, and soon signed for Beveren. Currently plying his trade for Livorno in Italy, he is somehow the Lithuanian national team’s all-time leading scorer.
Philippe Senderos-
There seems to be a running theme in this top ten as yet another centre back crops up. Signed from Servette, it appeared that Wenger had pulled off a coup; he had fended off a number of top clubs interested in buying the Swiss centre-back. Instead it seems as if the other clubs had dodged a bullet. As mobile as a tank and prone to self-destructing on the pitch, Senderos has struggled to make the grade at Arsenal. Despite occasionally putting in decent performances, the number of howlers he’s had far outnumber them. Currently on-loan at Everton, the fact that no club was willing to sign this international defender on a permanent deal say’s it all really.