2) Nicolas Anelka
Before Arsene Wenger signed Thierry Henry at Arsenal, there was another young French striker who was making headlines. Signed as a teenager for just £500,000 from Paris Saint-Germain, Anelka took his time to get a look-in but an injury to Ian Wright saw him grab his chance with both hands.
The 1997/98 campaign saw Arsenal clinch Wenger’s first double – winning the Premier League and the FA Cup. And Anelka played a big role making 26 appearances – quite a lot for a player who had still not turned 20 years old. His next season would be even better but his attitude soon saw him lose admirers and he made the switch to Real Madrid.
It was a transfer he would regret as he soon became a footballing nomad, moving from club to club (PSG, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers) before Chelsea decided to take a punt on him with a £15m bid.
It proved to be worthwhile transfer as Anelka stepped into Didier Drogba’s shoes when he suffered an injury. The Frenchman went on to win the Golden Boot in 2008/09 with 19 goals and became an integral part of the title-winning team in 2009/10 with 11 goals even though he was pushed to the wing.
