The 5 worst signings in Arsenal's history

#1 Igors Stepanovs

Igors Stepanovs was simply not up to standard at Arsenal

Arsenal have made plenty of bad signings but none have garnered as much ridicule over the years as the £1.35m purchase of Latvian defender Igors Stepanovs in 2000. Stepanovs was supposedly signed to cover for the injured Tony Adams, but after some horrific performances, it was clear that he was never capable of filling the boots of the Gunners’ legendary captain.

Stepanovs actually started decently enough – he scored on his Arsenal debut in an EFL Cup game against Ipswich Town – but things went downhill rapidly when he started at centre-back in the Gunners’ soul-destroying 6-1 defeat to eventual Premier League champions Manchester United. The Latvian would only feature in one more match that season.

Somehow, Stepanovs was kept around at Arsenal for a further two seasons – making just a handful of appearances – before ending his Gunners career in 2003 by moving to Belgian side KSK Beveren on loan. During his time at Highbury he made just 17 Premier League appearances, and only played 31 times for the club overall.

A few years later, former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour offered an explanation for Stepanovs’ signing in his autobiography; according to Parlour, the Latvian was signed after an unimpressive trial period with the club in the summer of 2000, largely because the Gunners’ senior players showered him with praise as part of an in-joke at the expense of fellow defender Martin Keown.

After his poor performances for the club, it’s safe to say the joke backfired.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram