Arsenal attract the world’s best players thanks to being one of the best and most popular English football clubs ever. The Gunners have had many great foreign stars over the years, especially during the Arsene Wenger era. In this article, we look at Arsenal’s best foreign footballers of all time.
Thierry Henry
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Thierry Henry spent eight glorious years with the Gunners. Signed as a relatively unknown striker under compatriot Wenger, Henry would go on to have a massive impact in the red half of north London, helping Arsenal win two Premier League titles.
Henry made over 250 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, scoring 175 goals in the competition. He won the EPL Golden Boot four times and was named in the PFA Team of the Century. The famous Frenchman left London for Barcelona in 2007 but returned for a loan stint in 2012. Henry is regarded as one of the best Premier League strikers of all time and was an outstanding servant to the club.
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Viera was a pivotal player in the early years of Wenger. He was the main man in Arsenal’s French revolution, and the combative midfielder quickly became a favourite among the Arsenal fans. He was an outstanding leader, captaining the Gunners to several major trophies.
Vieira won the Premier League title three times and was captain of the ‘Invincibles’ during the memorable 2003-04 campaign. He also guided Arsenal to four FA Cup wins and three FA Community Shields. After 279 league appearances, Vieira left Highbury for Juventus in 2005. He remains a legend at the club and one of the best Premier League midfielders of all time.
Robert Pires
Another player who was instrumental in Arsenal’s unbeaten season was Robert Pires. The former France international gave the team some real flare, and his goals and assists proved to be invaluable during his six-year spell at Highbury. Pires racked up almost 200 EPL appearances and netted over 60 league goals from midfield.
Arsenal had a huge overhaul of players when they moved into the Emirates Stadium in 2006, and Pires departed for Spanish side Villarreal. He returned to England with Aston Villa a few years later. Pires won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups during his time in the English capital.
David O’Leary
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Before the days of Wenger, David O’Leary was a huge part of Arsenal’s makeup. The ex-Republic of Ireland international spent 18 years at Highbury from 1975 to 1993, amassing over 700 league and cup games for the Gunners.
O’Leary still holds the record for the most appearances at the club, which will take some beating. After coming through the youth ranks and spending almost two decades with Arsenal, the centre-back finished his playing career at Leeds United in 1995. While in London, O’Leary won two league titles, two FA Cups, and two League Cups.
Cesc Fabregas
A product of Barcelona’s youth academy, Cesc Fabregas moved to Arsenal as a 16-year-old. Not many expected the shy Spaniard from Catalonia to go on to become an Arsenal legend. Fabregas was handed the captain’s armband in 2008, which he kept hold of until departing for Barca in 2011.
Even though the Spanish playmaker signed for rivals Chelsea in 2014, Fabregas still has a place in the Arsenal fans’ hearts for his outstanding service in north London. The midfielder played over 200 Premier League games for the Gunners, scoring 35 goals. However, he won just one major honour with Arsenal, which was the FA Cup in 2005.
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie arrived at Arsenal as a young man with bags of potential when he joined from Feyenoord in 2004. He was converted to a striker by Wenger and went on to score a hatful of goals in the English capital. He netted 35 times in 2011 and was named captain for the 2011-12 season.
Although Van Persie left under a dark cloud when he signed for rivals Manchester United in 2012, his goalscoring stats in his last few years at the Emirates were incredible, and he will always be regarded as one of Arsenal’s greatest-ever strikers.
Dennis Bergkamp
Moving on to another Dutchman, Dennis Bergkamp is arguably Arsenal’s most popular player of all time. The forward wowed fans with countless exceptional performances while wearing the famous red jersey. He spent 11 years at Arsenal, playing over 300 Premier League games in the process.
The Dutch ace picked up three league titles and four FA Cups and was part of the sides that went unbeaten and reached the UEFA Champions League final. Bergkamp is a club legend, and his statue was unveiled outside the Emirates in 2014.
Martin Odegaard
Huge things were expected of Martin Odegaard when he broke onto the scene at Real Madrid around a decade ago, but the Norway international never lived up to the billing in Spain. He made the switch to Arsenal in 2021 and became an instant hit with the fans. Odegaard is now Arsenal’s captain and one of the best players in the Premier League.
He played a huge part in Arsenal’s push for the title in 2023. Although they missed out on the trophy to Manchester City, the Gunners have kicked on under Mikel Arteta, and Odegaard has played a pivotal role in the club’s recent success. Having recently signed a contract extension until 2028, Arsenal fans will see plenty more of the brilliant Norwegian at the Emirates.
Gilberto Silva
Now for a bit of a curveball! After impressing at the 2002 World Cup, Brazilian Gilberto Silva was signed by Wenger in the summer of 2002 for a small fee of £4.5m. He would go on to build a superb partnership with Vieira in the engine room and be a big part of Arsenal’s invincible side two years later.
Alongside the 2003-04 Premier League, Gilberto won two FA Cups with the Gunners. The midfielder also scored the club’s first competitive goal at the Emirates. After 170 EPL appearances, Gilberto left for Panathinaikos in 2008.
Freddie Ljungberg
Freddie Ljungberg was a big player for Arsenal during his nine-year stint with the club. He went on to pick up two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. Ljungberg loved scoring in big games, as the Swede netted in two FA Cup finals and scored many important goals in other competitions.
Despite his outlandish hairstyles and well-documented off-field modelling, Ljungberg still did the business on the pitch, chalking up well over 300 league and cup appearances for the club. In 2001/02 he was named the Premier League Player of the Year, showing just how good he was. After leaving Arsenal, the attacker played for West Ham United and Celtic, among others, before hanging up his boots in 2014.