'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In the wake of explosive allegations by German publication Der Spiegel, that Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City have engaged in fraud to avoid Financial Fair Play (FFP) sanctions, LaLiga president Javier Tebas has called for banning clubs found guilty of breaching FFP rules.
In fact, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City have been serial offenders who refuse to take on board the need to meet FFP criteria. In 2014, both clubs received punishment for FFP violations.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who coined the term “financial doping”, has been one of the biggest advocates for FFP – that clubs should live within their own means.
Speaking to Eurosport, Wenger said, "There are two ways of thinking about the whole process. You can say, 'we don't care, we want the billionaires to buy the big players and they can spend what they want' or you say 'look, we want to keep things fair',"
He further added, "If you say to me 'tomorrow we give everybody £100million in the 20 Premier League clubs', I say 'okay, I will take the gamble', and then you can say at the start that is a fair competition.
"It is a bit like it works in the United States (with the draft system and salary cap in sports), which is the most capitalistic country, they have the more even field of competition.”
A big part of Wenger’s legacy at Arsenal would be his careful financial supervision. Over the years, he has run a tight ship financially. Despite many temptations and criticisms, Wenger maintained a frugal approach in the transfer market- looking for bargains and value-for-money players, never over-paying for players. Perhaps, his degree in economics taught him the importance of valuations. When he weighed up potential signings, he judged them like an economist pricing assets.
In the process, he unearthed some brilliant bargains- Kolo Toure £250,000, Patrick Vieira £3.5m, Cesc Fabregas £0, Freddie Ljungberg £3m. Robin van Persie £2.5m, Jens Lehmann £1.5m, Gael Clichy £400,000, Nicolas Anelka £500,000 just to name a few. In short, Wenger’s Arsenal has been one of the best-run, financially sound businesses in football.
Of course, nobody is perfect, and he has made some mistakes at times as well. Let’s look at Wenger’s ten worst bargain buys:
#1 Junichi Inamoto
Wenger signed the Japanese international for about £2 million from Gamba Osaka, making him the first Japanese player in the Premier League. Many believed Inamoto was signed to improve Arsenal’s standing in Japan and the Far East.
Unfortunately, Inamoto never made the grade at Arsenal. He was released after making just four appearances during his one failed season.
#2 Kaba Diawara
Wenger’s eye for bargains led him to Diawara, bought in January 1999 from Bordeaux for £2.5 million. The Guinean international lasted just one season before being sold to Marseille.
In his 13 games for the Gunners, Diawara drew a blank in front of goal. Another Wenger signing that failed to fulfil their potential at Highbury.
Diawara continued his career, playing for Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, Racing de Ferrol, Nice, and a number of other clubs in Asia and Turkey.
#3 Pascal Cygan
Signed for £2 million in 2002 from French club Lille as a long-term replacement for Tony Adams, the Frenchman could never quite earn the confidence of Wenger.
Despite being part of the Invincible side that went an entire season unbeaten, fans would often groan and chant from the terraces whenever he put on the Arsenal shirt.
Cygan finally left the club in the summer of 2006 to join Spanish club Villarreal after making 63 Premier league appearances for the Gunners.
#4 Alberto Mendez
Wenger decided to sign Mendez after watching him play against ESC Rangierbahnhof Nurnberg. Wenger used his contacts and was quick to secure his target for £250,000 from SC Feucht, a 5th tier club in Germany. At the time Mendez was 22-years-old, a business administration student and was shocked to get a call from Arsenal.
The German would go on to make a few appearances in the Double-winning season and even score in a Champions League game against Panathinaikos.
Mendez would never really hit the heights at Arsenal and hereafter he was loaned out to AEK Athens, then SpVgg Unterhaching in the Bundesliga and finally to Spanish side Racing Ferrol before being released. The midfielder played in only four league games for Arsenal during his 5 years at the club.
Mendez would continue to ply his trade in the lower league clubs of Spain and Germany until his retirement from the game at the age of 36.
#5 Christopher Wreh
The Liberian joined the club in 1997 from Monaco for £300,000. Wreh was the fourth choice striker behind Ian Wright, Dennis Bergkamp, and Nicolas Anelka and after the arrival of Thierry Henry, he was virtually pushed out of the club and shipped out on loans spells to AEK Athens, Birmingham and Den Bosch. He finally sealed a permanent move to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia in 2000.
Wreh’s two-year spell at the club netted 3 goals including an important goal in the F.A Cup semi-final victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1998. Wreh picked up a Premier league and F.A cup medal before departing Highbury.
#6 Yaya Sanogo
The French youth international striker joined from Auxerre as a free agent after his contract with the Ligue 2 outfit expired. Sanogo came up through the youth ranks of Auxerre and made 21 senior team appearances for the French side, scoring on 11 occasions.
His performances in the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Turkey caught the attention of Wenger and his trademark policy of signing promising but unproven players continued with Yaya Sanogo.
However, Wenger’s gamble did not pay off. Blessed with pace and strength, Sanogo made 20 appearances for the Gunners. Wenger soon realized the kid was not yet ready and sent him out on loan to Crystal Palace, Ajax, and Charlton Athletic.
Sanogo finally left Arsenal in 2017 to play for Ligue 1 side, Toulouse. Though he has age on his side, it is unlikely, Sanogo will see top-flight English football again in his career.
#7 Amaury Bischoff
Another bargain that backfired. In the summer of 2008, Arsenal lost some key players in midfield - Gilberto Silva was sold to Panathinaikos, Alexander Hleb left for Barcelona and Mathieu Flamini left on a free transfer to AC Milan.
Wenger felt he needed to add a midfielder to his squad. He decided to gamble on the French-born Portuguese Under-21 international. Signed from Werder Bremen on a free transfer, Bischoff was never good enough for Arsenal.
Bischoff initially appeared for Arsenal’s reserve side but found it difficult to break into the senior team. Bischoff’s only appearance in the Premier League came against Portsmouth towards the end of the 2008/09 season, replacing Theo Walcott in the 64th minute. He was released by the club after just one season and he never came back to the top level again.
Currently 31, Bischoff plays for Hansa Rostock in the third tier of German football.
#8 Stefan Malz
After failing to secure Dietmar Hamann, Wenger signed Malz from 1860 Munich for £650,000 in 1999. The Frenchman described Malz as a ‘versatile midfielder’ and a ‘sound acquisition’ for Arsenal.
However, Malz failed to dislodge Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Vieira or Robert Pires from Arsenal's starting line-up. Malz was soon off-loaded to Kaiserslautern after just two seasons. The midfielder made eight appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, scoring on two occasions.
He scored his first goal on his debut against Preston North End in the League Cup, with his second goal coming in a defeat at Newcastle United on the final day of the 1999–2000 season.
Unfortunately, he never really made the grade at Kaiserslautern either, appearing just 16 times in five years. Perhaps, the highlight of his short Arsenal career would be the runners-up medal he received in the Uefa Cup Final loss to Galatasaray.
#9 Igors Stepanovs
The Latvian centre-half was signed by Wenger for £1.35 million from Skonto Riga in 2000. He made a good start to life in England, scoring on his debut in a League Cup defeat against Ipswich in the 2000/01 season.
Hereafter, it was a free fall for Stepanovs after a horror performance against a rampant Manchester United team. Arsenal was mauled 6-1 and Stepanovs never really recovered following the Old Trafford humiliation. He remained a fringe player during his time at Arsenal.
Overall, Stepanovs played 31 times in all competitions for Arsenal. He spent the 2003/04 season on loan at Beveren. In 2004, he left Arsenal and continued his career in Switzerland, Denmark, Russia as well as his native Latvia before retiring in 2011.
#10 David Grondin
Grondin joined Arsenal in 1998 from St Etienne for a fee of £500,000. Much was expected from the French left-back but after a shaky start to his Arsenal career, Grondin was loaned out to various clubs.
His series of loans spells started at St Etienne in 1999-2000, Cannes in 2000-2001, and then to Beveren in 2001-2002. In 2003 he joined Scottish side Dunfermline Athletic on loan initially, eventually signing a permanent deal until the summer of 2004, thus ending his forgetful spell at Arsenal.
Grondin made 4 appearances in total for the Gunners and another cheap bargain that flopped big time.
Arsene Wenger might have made mistakes in the transfer market but it is small change compared to what Manchester City and PSG spend on a single player.
If all Premier League clubs are given £100 million to spend, it would be interesting to see who comes out on top - Guardiola's Manchester City or Wenger's Arsenal.
