By Jason Verduzco
Arsene Wenger enjoyed a glittering managerial record while at Arsenal. He won three Premier League titles, and seven FA Cup’s during his spell in North London and ensured that the Gunners went into the season as one of the favourites to claim the top prize.
The only way that punters could maximise their returns on Arsenal bets is with www.Freebetinfo.com who ensure that punters get the best possible prices. The Gunners are currently among the front-runners for a top-four finish, but could they have been in title discussion but for transfer mistakes made by Wenger during his tenure at the club?
Wenger wasn’t perfect, and he did make fatal mistakes in the windows to let players go that could have seen Arsenal become a threat over recent seasons. But, which players stand out more than most?
Serge Gnabry
Wenger oversaw the selling of Gnabry in 2016 to Werder Bremen for a fee of around £5 million. He only made ten appearances during his time at the Emirates before being loaned out the West Bromwich Albion. During that season, he was deemed by Tony Pulis as a player that he couldn’t trust and not good enough to make his eleven. However, since moving back to his native country, his reputation has soared.
After an impressive season with Bremen, he was signed by Bayern Munich after they matched his release clause. He was immediately loaned out to Hoffenheim, before returning Munich and making his name for the Bundesliga champions. He is now one of the first names on the team sheet, and he most recently scored four against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League.
Yaya Toure
One of the biggest mishaps of the Wenger era came in the summer of 2003 when Yaya Toure was on trial with the club. He played for the Gunners in a friendly against Barnet, and after the 0-0 draw, Wenger called his performance in the game ‘average’ and stated that he missed too many clear cut opportunities.
Wenger was made to eat those words as Toure went onto achieve success in Spain and England with Barcelona and Manchester City respectively. He was part of the 2009 Champions League-winning side under Pep Guardiola, before moving to England and winning three Premier League titles and one FA Cup. He was named the African Footballer of the Year on four occasions and was named in the PFA Team of the Year twice.
Francis Jeffers
It wasn’t just players that Wenger didn’t hold on to that was the problem because he also signed his fair share of shockers. The worst of which came in 2001, when he signed Francis Jeffers for an astronomical fee at the time of £8 million. He scored four goals in 22 appearances for the Gunners before being sold to Charlton Athletic in 2004. Jeffers never scored more than ten goals in a single season after he left the Gunners, and this transfer will always be one that is remembered as one of the worst from his tenure in charge at the Emirates.