1 October 2016 is a landmark day for Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. It marks the 20th anniversary of the day he arrived at the north London club as a virtually unknown foreign manager in the Premier League and took over the reins of one of England’s finest clubs that was struggling to make its mark.
20 years on, Arsenal has become a model club for teams around Europe as Wenger first won titles, then rebuilt the club after the move to the Emirates and started yet another era of winning trophies – all the while without dropping out of the top four and Champions League football.
Along the way, he has signed a number of world class players and young talent with an eye on the future. In an era of inflated transfer markets, Wenger has managed to ensure the club never lost their head when chasing a player’s signature.
We formed a XI of his most expensive signings in the past two decades.
Goalkeeper: Petr Cech – £10m
At the start of the 2015/16 season, Arsenal were the only club in Europe’s top tiers to not sign an outfield player. Indeed, their only signing was Petr Cech with the business conducted as early as June. Two months later, no other player was signed.
While most fans were outraged when the window slammed shut, they welcomed the signing of an experienced goalkeeper. Not since Wenger signed Jens Lehmann had the Gunners had a world class goalkeeper between the sticks, commanding the defensive line.
In reality, Cech was an opportunistic signing. Discarded by Chelsea in favour of a younger Thibaut Courtois, Cech was looking for another club in London as he did not want to displace his family. And club owner Roman Abramovich gave him his blessings after a decade of service at Stamford Bridge, much to the angst of then Blues boss Jose Mourinho.
Right-Back: Mathieu Debuchy – £12m
After the departure of the trustworthy Bacary Sagna, Wenger needed a right-back as Carl Jenkinson failed to impress to cement a starting spot. Mathieu Debuchy was the perfect signing and the right flank looked very solid until an ankle injury saw Debuchy miss three months.
Although he came back into the squad, he soon dislocated his shoulder against Stoke City courtesy of a nasty foul by Marko Arnautovic. By the time Debuchy recovered from that second injury, he had lost his place to the young and upcoming Hector Bellerin.
The French full-back has never been able to get back into the lineup since and rightly so. Now 31, there doesn’t seem to be a future for him at the club. Yet another promising career that was cruelly curtailed by injuries.
Centre-Back: Shkodran Mustafi – £35m
One of many deadline day signings over the years, German centre-back Shkodran Mustafi has been one of Wenger’s inspiring buys – so far. Having only been at the club for a month, he already looks a replacement for his injured compatriot Per Mertesacker.
Having forged a partnership with Laurent Koscielny, the defensive line looks a lot more composed and Mustafi has quickly adjusted to the rigour and pace of the Premier League. Still, it is early days and too soon to judge. However, it was a signing Arsenal desperately needed.
Centre-Back: Calum Chambers – £16m
Yet another player who is yet to convince at Arsenal is Calum Chambers. Signed from Southampton as a 19-year-old, he is capable of playing as a centre-back, right-back or defensive midfielder.
He has not got a good run of games in the senior team so far and has never been first choice. With tough competition at the Emirates, Wenger decided to loan him to Middlesbrough this season so he can get some experience under his belt.
Left-Back: Giovanni van Bronckhorst – £8.5m
Giovanni van Bronckhorst was a versatile player who was actually signed to replace Barcelona-bound Emmanuel Petit and partner Patrick Vieira in midfield. But the Dutch player could also play as a left-back.
However, his career at Highbury did not pan out the way he would have liked as a cruciate knee ligament injury saw him miss a few months of action. But he did play a crucial role in the 2001/02 double, eventually moving to Barcelona and finding success in La Liga and the Champions League.
Central Midfielder: Santi Cazorla – £16.5m
When Robin van Persie followed Cesc Fabregas out of the club a season apart, the squad desperately needed a player who could change the game. Enter Santi Cazorla.
Taking advantage of Malaga’s financial meltdown, Wenger splashed the cash to bring him in and he couldn’t hide his joy when he playfully said, “I don’t know who Cazorla is.”
The Spanish midfielder slotted into the midfield and his creativity was a breath of fresh air, not to mention his set piece ability – with both feet! Cazorla has been one of Wenger’s most influential signings in recent years and a knee injury severely dented the Gunners’ title hopes in the 2015/16 season.
Central Midfielder: Granit Xhaka – £34m
After Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini left the club in the summer of 2016, Arsenal’s midfield suddenly looked threadbare. They lacked a player with both steel and finesse to partner Cazorla and Wenger identified his target long before the season was over.
Granit Xhaka had been a target for months and the club agreed a deal with Borussia Monchengladbach in May to sign the Swiss midfielder. Blessed with a fine first touch, good movement and a powerful left foot, Xhaka has quickly made himself a fan favourite at the Emirates and has already formed an understanding with Cazorla in Francis Coquelin’s absence.
The only thing he needs to keep a lid on is his physicality as he has conceded a few fouls. And maybe not shoot every time the fans implore him to do so.
Attacking Midfielder: Mesut Ozil – £42.4m
“I don’t know, maybe we will surprise you.” When Wenger uttered those words following a north London derby win when asked about any possible signings before the 2013 summer transfer window closed, Arsenal fans lost it. The French manager’s teasing smile only increased the anticipation.
Mesut Ozil, one of the best midfielders in the world, was suddenly an Arsenal player a day later. With assists stats that had strikers licking their lips, the German midfielder became the Gunners’ most expensive signing ever. Jaws dropped when Wenger spent more than three times his transfer previous record fee at the time.
Ozil has since been instrumental in two FA Cup wins that ended a trophy drought at the club and also came close to breaking the Premier League record for most assists in a season in 2015/16. Arguably the most popular player at the club, he even has his own chant that is heard every now and then at every game.
Wide Forward: Alexis Sanchez – £35m
A season after signing Ozil from Real Madrid, Wenger turned his attention to Barcelona to pick up another player who was seemingly ‘discarded’. Gareth Bale’s transfer had seen Ozil move while the signing of Luis Suarez spelt the end of Alexis’ career at the Camp Nou.
And Wenger was only too happy to shell out £35m on the Chilean international. 25 goals in his debut season with the Gunners only goes to show what an impact he had in his first season at the club.
It was his ability to play across the front three that made Alexis thrive. An injury-hit season followed but 2016/17 has seen Wenger deploy him as a striker and he has already grabbed 5 goals and 4 assists in 10 matches.
Wide Forward: Jose Antonio Reyes – £17.5m
Signed as a 20-year-old winger from Sevilla, Wenger had brought to north London a player who could play across midfield or play as a supporting striker. At the time, the Gunners were leading the 2003/04 title race and he settled in to help them finish the season unbeaten.
He would help the club extend that run to 49 games and started the 2004/05 season well before reports of his ‘homesickness’ started to surface. It was at the time when real Madrid were also circling, ready to snap him up.
In the end, Reyes moved back to Spain on loan with the capital club after Wenger had had enough of the club’s underhanded tactics in luring the unhappy player away from Highbury. He famously said: “There is no way to have an unhappy player. Despite the global warming, England is still not warm enough for him.”
Striker: Lucas Perez – £17.1m
Before Lucas Perez, Andrei Arshavin was the club’s most expensive striker at £15m. It shows how frugal Wenger has been in the transfer market, refusing to spend big on strikers when they are usually the most expensive players on the market.
In truth, Wenger had tried to sign Jamie Vardy from Leicester City and also bid for Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon, both of whom had scored at will in the 2015/16 season. But he ultimately settled for Perez from Deportivo La Coruna.
He has played a bit-part role so far but had an impressive game against Nottingham Forest where he scored twice, displaying his strength to hold off defenders, skills on the dribble and finishing. But again, like Mustafi, it is too early to judge the Spaniard.
Also read: Arsene Wenger's Best XI in 20 years at Arsenal
