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Arsene Wenger had a reputation for making shrewd signings and more often than not, many such signings evolved into superstars. The likes of Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas are prime examples of his best signings.
However, even for a manager like Arsene Wenger, it is impossible to get all the signings spot on. He has even roped in players like Andre Santos during his 22-year-long stint as Arsenal manager.
There are also instances when a Wenger signing failed to make an impact at Arsenal but turned out to be a huge hit elsewhere. It is hard to say if all five of the players on this list would have been a hit at Arsenal right now, but some of them may have thrived at the club if they were given more time.
#5 Mathieu Debuchy
Mathieu Debuchy joined Arsenal in 2014 as a replacement for his compatriot Bacary Sagna. Although he was on Arsenal’s books for three and a half years, he only played 30 games for the Gunners as his stint with the club was marred with injuries.
When fit, Debuchy couldn’t break into the starting XI as Hector Bellerin broke into the first team and cemented his place.
On transfer deadline day in January 2018, he completed a permanent move to Ligue 1 side Saint-Étienne for free, six months before his contract with Arsenal expired.
The 33-year-old right-back made an instant impact at his new club and scored two crucial goals in his first month. His performance was so good that he was voted the Ligue 1 Player of the Month for February ahead of PSG’s Neymar and Montpellier shot-stopper Benjamin Lecomte.
He is now a regular for Saint-Etienne, and has played 19 games for the club already.
#4 Lassana Diarra
Lassana Diarra joined Arsenal in the summer transfer window of 2007 from rivals Chelsea when he was only 22-years-old. However, he played a backup role for the Gunners and left the club after only five months to join Portsmouth.
After a year with Portsmouth during which he won the FA Cup, Diarra joined Real Madrid and in three and a half season with the Los Blancos, he played 117 games winning the La Liga, Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana.
After leaving Real Madrid, the Frenchman joined Anzhi Makhachkala, Lokomotiv Moscow, Olympique de Marseille and Al Jazira Club. In 2018, he returned to the Ligue 1 to play for PSG and he won more trophies with the Parisian club.
He has also played 34 games for France with a vast majority of them coming after he departed Arsenal.
#3 Carlos Vela
Carlos Vela was the Golden Boot winner at the 2005 U-17 FIFA World Cup, which his side Mexico won. Following his performance, he attracted interest from several top European clubs and he eventually signed for Arsenal.
Vela spent two seasons on loan in Spain before returning to Arsenal. He played 62 games for the Gunners scoring 11 times before joining West Brom on loan.
The Mexican joined Real Sociedad permanently ahead of the 2011/12 season and formed a potent partnership with Antoine Griezmann. In the three seasons he played alongside Griezmann, Vela scored 47 goals. He was even voted the club’s Player of the Year in two of those seasons ahead of the Frenchman.
When Vela left Real Sociedad in August 2017 to join Los Angeles FC, he had 73 goals in 250 games. He has hit the ground running in the MLS, and has 12 goals in 25 games.
Vela has played 71 games for Mexico, scored 19 goals and won the CONCACAF Gold Cup twice and the CONCACAF Cup once.
#2 Oğuzhan Özyakup
Turkish international Oguzhan Ozyakup is a product of the Arsenal academy. He joined the academy in 2008 from Dutch club AZ and made his first-team debut in September 2011 in a League Cup match, in which he picked up an assist.
His only other appearance for Arsenal was also in the League Cup and in the summer of 2012, he left the club to join Besiktas.
Ozyakup has been with Besiktas since, and has racked up 224 appearances, scoring 29 goals and assisting 52 more. In six full seasons with the Turkish giants, Ozyakup has won the Turkish Super Lig twice.
The 26-year-old has played 30 times for the Turkish national team, and is an integral member of the national team setup.
#1 Serge Gnabry
The final player on this list is the one that Arsenal fans might regret selling. How often does a player who struggled at Arsenal end up playing for Bayern Munich?
Gnabry joined Arsenal’s youth setup in 2011 from VfB Stuttgart. Ahead of the 2012/13 season, he was called up to the senior team and in the same season, he made his professional debut in a League Cup fixture.
The German went on to play 18 games for the senior team by the end of the 2013/14 season, but couldn’t add to that tally in the next season. He joined West Brom on loan for the 2015/16 season but only played one league game before returning to Arsenal.
Gnabry left Arsenal in 2016 to join Bundesliga club Werder Bremen, and in his only season there, he scored 11 goals in 27 games. In the same season, he made his debut for the German national team and celebrated the occasion with a hat-trick.
In 2017, Bayern Munich signed Gnabry and he immediately went on loan to Hoffenheim for a season. He excelled at Hoffenheim as well, scoring 10 times in 26 games. He is now back at Bayern Munich and is considered a huge part of Bayern’s future, with Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery nearing their retirement age.
