Arsenal’s 10 Best Signings Ever Under Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger catches a lot of flack for the signings he does not make. He is often accused of doing his best to rip Arsenal apart piece by piece. Truth be told, in Arsene Wenger’s illustrious history, he has made some bad signings. From wonderkids to supposed bargain buys, he is not perfect in the transfer market. But who is?

Related: Arsene Wenger’s 10 Worst Signings Ever At Arsenal

Wenger makes it a point that he will not spend Arsenal’s money unless he sees a perfect fit for the club. In order to be a perfect fit, that player has to have so much already at his disposal or enough that Wenger can mold him into the Arsenal image.

Taking such a philosophy in the transfer market can lead to frustration, but it can also lead to revelation. Wenger has brought some superb talent into North London. He has turned guys into legends. Or if you do not want to give Wenger that much credit, he gave these guys enough room and enough opportunity to make themselves legends.

Whatever the case, after a fairly quiet summer transfer window, yet a fantastic start to the season, we felt it necessary to dive head first into Arsene Wenger’s transfer history. Not too long ago, Pain in the Arsenal covered the top ten worst signings under Wenger, with the likes of cult sensation Nicklas Bendtner making the list.

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Now, we are taking a much more positive outlook on Wenger’s transfer endeavors. We are going to be taking a stroll through the best signings Wenger has ever made.

But first, let’s figure out what constitutes a great signing. For starters, the guy can not turn out like Emmanuel Frimpong. The signing has to have made an impact at Arsenal and perhaps won some silverware as well.

Some contributing factors include the price paid. If a guy is bought for a measly sum and turns into a legend, he is going to be far higher on the list than someone who was bought for a ridiculous price and stayed great. Wenger uncovers gems sometimes and those gems deserve to be high up on the list.

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Another contributing factor, particularly with guys who ended up being sold by Arsenal, is how much the price changed from when they were bought to when they were sold. Nothing justifies a transfer more than market value.

With these parameters in mind, let’s start reminding ourselves of what makes Le Prof so darn special. The guy has built a culture at Arsenal and these are ten of the guys that have helped him in that endeavor. We will start with the honorable mentions and work our way up to the best transfer Wenger has ever made (it may not be who you think, but it probably will).

We will start with the honorable mentions. All the guys that I really thought deserved a mention despite not cracking the top ten.

Next: Honorable Mentions