Arsene Wenger finally got his man today as he masterminded the shrewd signing of Czech Republic International Petr Cech from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee, with many Arsenal fans expecting the 33 year old to finally fill the hole left in the side by the departure of Jens Lehmann.
It is one of the signings of summer so far, but where do some of Arsene Wenger’s past signings rank in comparison to their new man in between the sticks?
5. Cesc Fabregas
Although this particular inclusion may not go down well with many of the Arsenal faithful, he sure is hard to overlook considering his years of top quality service to the club. Cesc Fabregas was signed from Barcelona’s academy when he was just 16, spending 8 years in North London before being sold back to the Catalan club for a huge profit. Fabregas rapidly became a fan favourite at Arsenal and was a vital part of the Gunners side that reached the Champions League final in 2006, only to lose out to his former club in extra time. The Spaniard made 303 appearances under Wenger and was also made captain by him in 2008.
4. Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell’s switch from Arsenal’s bitter rivals Tottenham in 2001 was perhaps one of the most shocking transfers in Premier League history. Arsene Wenger pinched the England International centre back on a free after he turned down a contract extension at White Hart Lane, and he certainly made an impression. Brought in to ease the pressure on the aging Tony Adams and Nigel Winterburn, Campbell picked up three FA Cups and two league titles in his time under Arsene Wenger and was a vital cog in the well-oiled machine that was the Invincible squad of 2003/04.
3. Robert Pires
Another member of the invincibles, Robert Pires is viewed by many Arsenal fans in the same light as Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp. Signed from Marseille for 6 Million in 2000, he was bought as a replacement for another fan favourite of the Gunners fans Marc Overmars. He enjoyed the same trophy haul as Sol Campbell and was regarded as one of the best in the world during his time in North London.
2. Patrick Viera
Arsene Wenger took a huge risk when he signed an unproven 20-year-old from Italy who couldn’t even hold down a first team place in the AC Milan squad. However the risk sure did pay off as the young Frenchman made a name for himself in the Premier League as a tough tackling centre midfielder, going on to be named captain of two double winning sides during his time at Highbury. He made the Premier League team of the year 3 years in a row and led the Gunners to a whole season unbeaten in 2003/04.
1.Thierry Henry
Arsene Wenger took a huge gamble when he broke the clubs record transfer fee to sign Thierry Henry from Juventus, and it sure paid off. Now regarded as one of the most deadly Premier League forwards of all time, Mr Va Va Voom simply had to top the list. His lightening quick movement and ice cold finishing helped Arsenal to win several honours in his time at the club. The frenchman made 258 appearances, scoring 175 goals and is now lovingly known by the Arsenal faithful as 'The King'.