Wenger's 22 January transfers including signing he 'didn't know' was injured
Arsenal fans would love Mikel Arteta to sign a new striker this month after a run of three consecutive defeats in all competitions.
The Gunners have dropped to fourth in the Premier League table - five points behind leaders Liverpool - and are out of the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. Supporters are calling for Arteta to sign Ivan Toney, Victor Omishen, Dominic Solanke and others.
Yet it's not always a good idea to bring in reinforcements in January. Just ask former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who had nearly as many misses than hits in the mid-season window. Here, Mirror Football scrutinises Wenger's record so Arteta doesn't have to.
Hits
Wenger's final Arsenal transfer was superb, as he signed Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund in 2018. Although the striker's time at Arsenal ended on a sour note, his record of 92 goals in 163 games must be respected. He also played a vital role in their 2020 FA Cup triumph and shared the Premier League's Golden Boot in 2019.
Theo Walcott was another smart January signing from Southampton in 2006. The winger never fulfilled his potential at the Emirates after going to the World Cup aged 17, but he did score more than 100 goals for the Gunners - making that £12m transfer fee look a snip.
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Speaking of No.14s, Thierry Henry was re-signed on loan from New York Red Bulls in 2012. Arguably Arsenal's greatest ever player, Henry returned to the Emirates to score a famous goal in an FA Cup victory against Leeds. It remains an unforgettable memory.
Thierry Henry marked his Arsenal comeback with a goal against Leeds (Getty Images)Wenger loved re-signing legends. A 35-year-old Sol Campbell returned in 2010 for a useful 14-game spell, while a 41-year-old Jens Lehmann was lured out of retirement a year later to solve an injury crisis (the goalkeeper was signed in the March, however).
The late Jose Antonio Reyes was signed from Sevilla in 2004 and played 13 Premier League games that season to help Arsenal become the Invincibles. The Spaniard spent another two seasons at the Emirates before enjoying a successful career in his homeland.
Abou Diaby was a bargain buy at £2m when he arrived from Auxerre in 2006, but injuries stopped him from fulfilling his potential. Current star Mohamed Elneny is another January signing who is a highly respected among Arsenal fans, despite making just 159 outings to date. Elneny arrived at the Emirates from Basel in 2016.
Emmanuel Eboue, who arrived from Belgian side Beveren in 2005, divided opinion during his time at Arsenal and was even once booed by his own fans. But the right-back was a good servant for the club, making more than 200 appearances.
Mohamed Elneny is a fan favourite at Arsenal (Getty Images)Nacho Monreal was another useful signing by Wenger. The Spanish left-back arrived from Malaga in January 2013 and went on to play more than 250 games for Arsenal, winning three FA Cups. His £8.5m transfer fee ultimately proved to be a bargain.
Andrey Arshavin never lived up to his potential after arriving from Zenit St Petersburg in 2009 but still played 144 times for Arsenal. He'll always be fondly remembered by Arsenal fans for scoring four goals against Liverpool at Anfield in his debut season.
Current Birmingham City midfielder Krystian Bielik only played twice for the Gunners after arriving from Legia Warsaw in a £2.4m deal in 2015 but proved to be a smart bit of business. He was sold to Derby four-and-a-half years later for £10m.
Arsenal fans won't like this, but Emmanuel Adebayor has to be classed as a hit. He was signed from Monaco in 2006 for just £3m and was sold to Manchester City for £25m after scoring 62 goals in 142 games. Let's just forget about when he ran the full length of the pitch to celebrate a City goal in front of the Arsenal fans and his time at Tottenham.
Misses
Konstantinos Mavropanos scored against Arsenal for West Ham last month (IKIMAGES/AFP via Getty Images)Brace yourself, you may not have heard of some of these players. Remember Guillaume Warmuz at Arsenal? No, neither do I - but the free agent was signed aged 33 in 2003 to provide back up. The legendary Lens goalkeeper never played a game for Arsenal.
Arsenal lose eight players and sign three as January transfer window closes
Winger Wellington Silva was signed from Fluminense in 2010 as the next Brazilian talent but struggled to obtain a work permit and spent most of his time out on loan. He never played for the Gunners in the end, although he did experience a loan spell at Bolton.
Ryo Miyaichi, another winger, was handed a contract in January 2011 but made just seven appearances for the first team. Attacking midfielder Thomas Eisfeld arrived from Dortmund in 2012 but played just twice for Arsenal and never made it at the highest level.
Current West Ham defender Konstantinos Mavropanos also had a brief spell with Arsenal between 2018 and 2020, playing eight games. He came back to haunt to the Gunners last month when he scored in a 2-0 win for the Hammers at the Emirates.
Kim Kallstrom arrived at Arsenal with a back injury (Getty Images)Who is Arsenal's greatest ever January signing? Let us know in the comments below!
Luke Freeman was snapped up from Gillingham in 2008 but never played in the first team. The 31-year-old is now searching for his next club after leaving Luton at the end of last season, having made more than 400 professional appearances in English football.
One of Wenger's biggest blunders came in 2018 when Henrikh Mkhitaryan was signed from Manchester United, with Alexis Sanchez going the other way. Mkhitaryan never quite made an impression at the Emirates and left in in 2019 with just nine goals to his name.
Gabriel Paulista also failed to win over the Arsenal fans after arriving from Villarreal in January 2015, although he did well to win two FA Cups. And who can forget about Kim Kallstrom? The Swedish midfielder who was signed on loan from Spartak Moscow in 2014, despite being injured. He only managed four games for the Gunners.
Wenger soon admitted he was unaware of Kallstrom's back complaint, which kept him out until March. The Arsenal boss said: "It was 5pm on Friday night, so it was sign him or nobody... We might need the players in March or April, you know, so it is difficult."
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