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Since being re-elected to the First Division in 1919, Arsenal have never relinquished their top-flight status. No club has played as many consecutive seasons in England’s top division for as long as the Gunners. Many factors have contributed to the maintenance of such high standards, from legendary managers to the growing influence of the academy and, of course, shrewd recruitment in the transfer market.
Like any club, Arsenal don’t always get it right in the transfer market. Igor Stepanovs, Sebastien Squillaci, Andre Santos, and Nicolas Pépé are just a few examples of spectacular misjudgements. However, for every miss, Arsenal have unearthed an emerging superstar or obtained outstanding value for money.
Good transfer deals come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from bargain purchases to big-money buys that turn out to be worth every penny. When assessing the Gunner’s transfer history, the following deals stand out as truly inspired.
Thierry Henry – £11m from Juventus (1999)
Where else to start but with the man universally accepted as one of the greatest – if not THE greatest – players of the Premier League era. At the time, £11m seemed like a lot of money to pay for a winger who had scored only three times in 20 appearances for Juventus. But of course, Arsene Wenger knew exactly what he was doing.
Recognising Henry’s sublime talent, pace, and finishing ability, Wenger promptly moved Henry inside from the wide position he had occupied in Serie A. It’s fair to say the move was a success. Over the next eight seasons, Henry scored 226 times in 370 appearances. He claimed four Golden Boot awards and helped the club to two Premier League titles and two FA Cups. For that £11m outlay, Arsenal got a player who became the club’s all-time leading scorer and was voted Arsenal’s greatest player ever in a 2008 poll.
Patrick Vieira – £3.5m from AC Milan (1996)
Having broken through at Cannes, Vieira improbably failed to make the cut at AC Milan. However, his ability hadn’t escaped the attention of compatriot Arsene Wenger, who helped to orchestrate this transfer before his official unveiling as the new Arsenal boss.
Immediately thrown into the first team, Vieira became the driving force behind Wenger’s most successful years. Slick on the ball and fierce in the tackle, the Frenchman helped Arsenal to three league titles and four FA Cups. Lifting the World Cup with his country in 1998, Vieira would earn many fans’ votes as Arsenal’s greatest ever midfielder. Having scored 34 times in 405 appearances, Vieira earned Arsenal a £10m profit when departing for Juventus in 2005.
Dennis Bergkamp – £7.5m from Inter Milan (1995)
Bruce Rioch struck gold with his first signing as Arsenal manager in 1995. The £7.5m fee trebled the club’s transfer record, and initially appeared to be a risky investment. However, Bergkamp overcame his early struggles and moved firmly into the world-class bracket following the arrival of Arsene Wenger.
Spending eleven years at Arsenal, Bergkamp repaid his transfer fee many times over. Helping the club to three League titles and three FA Cups, the magical Dutchman provided some of the most memorable moments in Premier League history. His 1997 hat-trick against Leicester City is still talked about to this day, whilst his 2002 strike at Newcastle was voted the best Premier League goal of all time in 2017.
Sol Campbell – Free from Tottenham Hotspur (2001)
Having previously stated that he would never play for Arsenal, Sol Campbell caused uproar when joining the Gunners on a free transfer from Tottenham in 2001. A bitter pill to swallow for the Spurs faithful, while Arsenal fans revelled in depriving their biggest rivals of their skipper and defensive colossus.
For the player and his new club, the move was an immense success. Campbell had only a League Cup win to show for nine years at Spurs. In five seasons at Arsenal, he won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. Immortalised as part of the 2003/04 Invincibles side, Campbell goes down as one of the greatest free transfers in Arsenal history.
Nicolas Anelka – £500,000 from Paris Saint-Germain (1997)
The much-travelled Anelka can’t match the impact of Henry or Vieira. However, he more than warrants a place on this list. Eyebrows were raised when Arsenal splashed out £500,000 for an unheralded 17-year-old in February 1997. By the end of the 1997/98 season, the young striker had helped his new club to a Premier League and FA Cup Double.
While the team faltered in 1998/99, Anelka’s personal progress saw him bag 17 Premier League goals and the PFA Young Player of the Year award. Nicknamed “Le Sulk” towards the end of his time at the club, Anelka moved to Real Madrid for £22.3m in 1999 – more than 44 times what Arsenal had paid for him.
Kolo Touré – £150,000 from ASEC Mimosas (2002)
Arsenal’s extensive scouting network found this gem plying his trade for Ivorian outfit ASEC Mimosas. Initially deployed as a utility man, Touré developed to become one of the finest centre-backs of his generation.
Touré lined up 325 times for Arsenal between 2002 and 2009. Playing 37 of 38 games in 2003/04, he will be best remembered as a key cog in the Invincibles’ machine. When departing for Manchester City in 2009, Toure swelled the Arsenal coffers to the tune of £14m.
Robin van Persie – £2.75m from Feyenoord (2004)
Having successfully transformed Thierry Henry from a winger to a lethal centre forward, Arsene Wenger selected Van Persie as his next project in 2004. Once again, Wenger’s positional tinkering proved to be a work of genius.
Despite injuries taking a toll, Van Persie reached double figures in goals in seven of his eight seasons at Arsenal, culminating in a phenomenal 30 strikes in 38 Premier League games in 2011/12. The Dutch hitman then burned his bridges with the Arsenal faithful by opting to join Manchester United. Whilst unforgivable to some, a return of 132 goals for an outlay of £2.75m and a sale price of £22.5m means Van Persie represented sound business for Arsenal.
David Seaman – £1.3m from QPR (1990)
Having initially failed to sign Seaman at the end of the 1989/90 season, Arsenal returned ahead of the 1990/91 campaign. This time, a bid of £1.3m – at the time a British record for a goalkeeper – was successful.
Outgoing keeper John Lukic remained hugely popular at Highbury, but Seaman soon created his own legend between the Arsenal sticks. Playing all 38 games in 1990/91, the moustachioed custodian conceded only 18 times as he helped Arsenal to the title. Eight years on, he bettered that tally when conceding only 17 times in his Golden Glove-winning 1998/99 campaign. Number one under George Graham and Arsene Wenger, Seaman left Arsenal in 2003 after making 564 appearances and winning nine major trophies. A record-setting figure at the time, that £1.3m fee must go down as one of the biggest bargains in Arsenal’s long history.