Players you never expected to come to the Emirates, former Manchester United and Chelsea stars Included…
Arsene Wenger has made a number of unusual transfers during his time at Arsenal. Some have been downright farcical, while others have been major coups and works of absolute genius. This summer’s captures of Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck were totally unexpected by most, but they have both been vital to the Gunners’ season so far.
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Here are ten players nobody ever expected to join Arsenal:
10) Theo Walcott
Young players with bags of potential may seem exactly like Arsene Wenger’s cup of tea, but the money involved in Theo Walcott’s transfer at the tender age of 16 made it seem like an impossible transfer.
Despite a number of other interested parties involved, Arsenal managed to secure the youngster from Southampton in 2006.
The pacey Englishman has gone on to become an important part of the Gunners set up.
9) Lassana Diarra
The massively impatient Frenchman forced his way out of Chelsea after being disappointed with his first team opportunities.
He signed for Arsenal in 2007, but was again left frustrated with his chances in the first XI and after just six months he was shipped out to Portsmouth.
8) Mikael Silvestre
After outgrowing his usefulness at Manchester United, the 31-year-old Frenchman signed for Arsenal for an undisclosed fee.
His performances for the Gunners were woeful, and it became clear why he had only made three appearances for United in his final season at Old Trafford.
7) Danny Welbeck
Sir Alex Ferguson would have never dreamed of selling to Arsenal, and especially not a player he deemed to possess the potential of Danny Welbeck.
After signing Colombian forward Radamel Falcao however, new Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal let Welbeck go and Arsene Wenger pounced with a £16m bid.
6) Kim Kallstrom
Ageing, injured, and widely considered not to be of the quality that Arsenal required. How could Arsene Wenger refuse?
The Swedish midfielder arrived on a six-month loan deal on the final day of the 2014 January transfer window, and was not the player Gooners wanted to see.
He made just four appearances for the club, and was promptly shipped back out.
5) Alexis Sanchez
After having an unbelievable World Cup in Brazil this summer which followed on from a superb season in La Liga, no one expected Barcelona to unload Alexis Sanchez.
Cast him off they did however, and in the end it seems like Arsenal was the only club he was ever going to land with.
Liverpool were also after the Chilean, but despite a more lucrative offer from the Merseyside club Sanchez chose North London.
4) Thierry Henry
The Frenchman was a relative unknown when he made the move to Arsenal, despite a decent showing at the 1998 World Cup.
It was seen as a bit of a risky transfer by Arsene Wenger as he had just seen his compatriot fail to make the grade at Juventus.
The Gunners boss transformed Henry however, turning him into one of the greatest strikers to have ever lived.
3) Dennis Bergkamp
Already an established star at Inter Milan, Arsenal managed to lure the Dutchman to Highbury for, what was at the time, a massive £7.5m.
He ignited something at the North London club, and along with the introduction of new boss Arsene Wenger the Gunners ushered in a new breed of football and went on to dominate the Premier League for a number of years.
2) Mesut Ozil
Despite Arsene Wenger allegedly making massive bids for the likes of Luis Suarez, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel di Maria, and Karim Benzema, the summer of 2013 looked set to be another disappointing one for Arsenal fans.
The French boss then obliterated not only the Gunners’ transfer record, but people’s perception of him as well after he managed to bring in Real Madrid playmaker Mesu Ozil for £42.5m.
The German star may not have had the impact many would have hoped since joining the club, but his signing signalled the start of a new era for Arsenal.
1) Sol Campbell
With the rivalry between Arsenal and Tottenham so fierce, it was an extremely controversial move for Sol Campbell to move from White Hart lane to Highbury in 2001.
It was made even worse for Spurs fans by the fact that their former Captain had let his contract run down and was allowed to move for free.
Campbell went on to become a vital part of the Gunners defence and won eight medals during his time with the club.