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The Arsenal team in the Arsene Wenger era was often noted for the great value signings that it made. From Thierry Henry to Cesc Fabregas, the North London club bought some world-class players in great deals.
However, as it is with signings, Arsenal also often hit choppy waters with new additions who were supposed to add value to the club. In such instances, both player and club struggled during the association. But it was often the player's career that dipped to such an extent that it was beyond resurrection.
In this article, we take a look at five such Arsenal players whose careers dipped after joining Arsenal.
5 players whose careers dipped at Arsenal
#1 Francis Jeffers
Former England striker Francis Jeffers caught Arsene Wenger's attention after netting 18 times in 49 games for Everton. He was subsequently bought by the Frenchman for £8 million. However, Jeffers struggled with both form and fitness during his time at Highbury.
To be honest, Arsenal then had a team that was tough to break into, and Jeffers made only six appearances when the Gunners won the 2001 Premier League title.
Jeffers publicly admitted later that he made a mistake by signing for Arsenal. With four goals in 22 appearances, he was one of Wenger's most disappointing buys. He became a journeyman post his Arsenal stint but never quite regained the potency he showed for Everton.
#2 Andrey Arshavin
Andrey Arshavin did have his moments in an Arsenal shirt, most notably when he netted four goals in a magical night at Anfield in 2009. But the creativity and vision that made Wenger bring him to the club was only seen in patches in the four seasons the Russian played for Arsenal. He could never become the creative lynchpin of the team as was hoped for during his stint at the club.
In his last season with Arsenal in 2012-13, Arshavin only made sporadic Premier League appearances and was often relegated to the bench. He then moved back to Zenit but had clearly lost his touch.
Arshavin did get some success in his last professional spell before retiring in 2018, but that was in the Kazkhstan Premier League.
