The 2010 Summer transfer window yielded some of Arsene Wenger's best and worst ever transfers as Arsenal manager. Five years on, how successful was this transfer window for the Gunners and how did the players that were brought in get on for Arsenal?
Signings were brought in uncharacteristically early in 2010, with Arsenal's first signing the free transfer of one of the revelations of the previous season's Champions League, Marouane Chamakh. The Moroccan joined from Bordeaux and remained at Arsenal for three years, before moving to Crystal Palace on deadline day 2013. The striker never really recaptured the form he had at the French club, scoring only 14 times in 67 appearances for Arsenal.
One of Arsenal's 2010 signings has evolved into one of the Premier League's best
The success of Arsenal's second signing of Summer 2010 completely juxtaposes the success of the first. Laurent Koscielny joined Arsenal from French side Lorient in July 2010 and, in his five years at Arsenal, he has slowly become one of the best central defenders in the Premier League. His first season at Arsenal was marred by the defensive mix up between him and goalkeeper Szczesny that saw Arsenal concede late in the League Cup final at Wembley and lose to Birmingham City.
Since then, Koscielny has become a sound defender, and has scored some important goals too. He scored on the last day of the season two seasons in a row to guarantee Champions League football and he scored the equaliser in the 2014 FA Cup final against Hull City. The Frenchman seems to have definitely repaid the £10 million fee he commanded five years ago and is worth a lot more than that now. Recent interest from Real Madrid shows what a top player Koscielny is and what a great signing he was for Arsenal.
Arsenal's third and final transfer of the summer was nowhere near as successful as Koscielny, despite the fact he partnered his compatriot in defence. Sebastian Squiliaci joined Arsenal from Sevilla for £4 million in August 2010. He played over 30 times in his first season in North London, but was criticised for poor performances and high profile mistakes. These continued throughout his Arsenal career and he was finally released in 2013 after making only 40 appearances. He's gone down in Arsenal history as one of the worst signings ever, and is surely a sign about how unsuccessful that transfer window was.
The players Arsenal bought weren't the only thing that defined the transfer window
Aside from transfers into the club, Arsenal also sold players including Sol Campbell to Newcastle, Mikael Silvestere to Werder Bremen and Eduardo to Shaktar Donetsk. Wenger good rid of some dead wood but, if the three signings were direct replacements for these players, then it may look the transfer window look like a failed one.
Aside from transfers, the contracts of Aaron Ramsey, Cesc Fabregas and manager Arsene Wenger were all renewed during the transfer window. This was good for the club as it stopped interest for these players from other clubs. Fabregas had just been appointed captain, but did leave the next season. He was an Arsenal legend in the making but his early departure and then his transfer to Chelsea tarnished his reputation among fans.
The 2010 transfer window was successful for Arsenal purely down to the arrival of Laurent Koscielny, who looks to be one of the shrewdest transfers Arsene Wenger ever made. Despite the failures of the other transfers in, the success of the Frenchman, and the new contracts for Fabregas, Ramsey and Wenger, made this transfer window a successful one, but it isn't Arsenal's most successful transfer window ever.