9 Players You May Have Forgot Played for Arsenal

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Arsenal Emirates Stadium Exterior
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Arsenal are one of the top teams in England, boasting a wealth of major domestic trophies and a long history of competing with the best, though European silverware has so far eluded them. Over the years, we have seen some top quality players play at the Emirates and Highbury, with the likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Viera and Sol Campbell springing to mind. However, there is a long list of players that didn’t quite make the impact they were expected to during their time in North London.

So today, BoyleSports, the home of online slots, will be taking a look at 9 players you may have forgotten played for Arsenal.

Park Chu Young

Surprisingly, only just retiring in 2024, the now 40 year old South Korean forward, Park Chu Young, had an extremely short spell at Arsenal after what was a promising campaign in Ligue 1 with Monaco.

He joined the Gunners in 2011, making a single Premier League appearance before being loaned out to Celta Vigo and Watford. He was finally sold in 2014. Makes you wonder why he was even signed in the first place.

Amaury Bischoff

Signing for Arsenal in 2008, Wenger claimed he was taking a risk by offering the young Portuguese midfielder a contract at the Emirates, after the player had made very limited performances for the main Werder Bremen squad. This was also the case at Arsenal for Amaury Bischoff, making just 4 appearances with Arsenal’s first team before being sold the following year in 2009.

Ryo Miyaichi

The Japanese forward Ryo Miyaichi was signed by Wenger with plenty of hype surrounding his potential at such a young age. He joined directly from playing football in his homeland of Japan in 2011, where he would only feature in a handful of games and a single preseason before he was sold in 2015 to FC Saint Pauli.

During his time with the Gunners, he endured several loan spells that were unfortunately plagued by injury, meaning he never really got a chance at the top to reach his potential.

Fran Merida

Starting his career in Barcelona’s academy, Arsenal quickly noticed the talent of the Spanish midfielder, with fans tipping him to be the next Cesc Fabregas. He made the move to the Emirates in 2005, making his first senior appearance in 2007. He would only feature in a handful of games, scoring a couple of goals in red before departing for Atletico Madrid in 2010. Since then, he has had a relatively successful time in the Spanish league with Osasuna and Espanyol.

Sebastian Squillaci

Making the most appearances for the Gunners on this list so far is the French centre back, Sebastian Squillaci. After a successful spell at Manco, Lyon and Sevilla, the Frenchman caught the eyes of Arsenal to bring experience to the Gunners’ back line. Unfortunately for Squillaci, he experienced only 3 years with the Gunners, not really cementing himself as an Arsenal all timer. He was a solid player on his day, but never made a legacy during his time in North London.

Julio Baptista

Possibly remembered by some Arsenal fans for his emphatic 4 goals against Liverpool in the League Cup, he fell relatively under the radar during his single season loan spell from Real Madrid.

Baptista arrived from the Spanish capital with a lot of anticipation from the Gooners, which was short lived after a lack of goals despite having plenty of appearances to his name. The disappointing spell at Arsenal would have been completely forgotten if not for that moment of magic against Liverpool.

Kim Kallstrom

The Sweden born midfielder had a relatively successful career in France, cementing himself as a fan favourite in Lyon and Rennes, but unfortunately, the same can’t be said for his failed loan spell at Arsenal. The player arrived in North London already injured, meaning game time was set to be limited; however, he managed to make 3 League appearances and even scored a crucial penalty that would help see Arsenal through to their FA Cup win in 2014.

Jeremie Aliadere

During his eight years at the club, the French forward was regarded by Arsenal fans as a potential successor to Thierry Henry, such was the undeniability of his talent. But as a result of critical injuries, his playing time was limited, forcing several loan moves and very limited playing time for the Gunners.

He went on to enjoy decent spells at Middlesbrough and Lorient, but never managed to reach the potential he was once thought to have.

Mart Poom

A signing that Arsenal fans may never be able to get their heads around is the Estonian Goalkeeper Mart Poom. In 2005, Arsenal took the goalkeeper on loan from Sunderland, providing him with no league appearances. Nonetheless, the Gunners made the deal a permanent one, to which he would only feature two times in Arsenal’s first team, managing to pick up a Champions League runners up medal in 2006.