Wenger admitted transfer mistake as Arsenal signing booed by own teammates

10 March 2023 , 08:30

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Wenger admitted transfer mistake as Arsenal signing booed by own teammates

Few transfers have shaken English football to its very core quite like Sol Campbell's switch from Tottenham to Arsenal back in the summer of 2001.

Making the move between the two North London clubs is widely regarded as a no-go, purely due to the level of ill-feeling between the two, but it didn't seem to phase Campbell too much.

Enticed by the bright lights of Highbury and the talk of titles with then-boss Arsene Wenger, the England ace stunned the sport when he emerged at Arsenal's training ground to an audience of stunned reporters. While it was all smiles among the Gunners fanbase, the fury from Tottenham supporters is still felt more than two decades later.

Sol Campbell was subject to abuse from Spus fans following his move to Arsenal in 2001

With that in mind, Wenger's anecdote about how the Arsenal squad helped Cambell prepare for North London derbies makes for interesting reading.

The Frenchman once revealed that the other players in the side would boo and jeer the defender in training before games against Spurs and even admitted he is unsure whether he'd sign Campbell again because of the animosity sent his way in the aftermath.

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Asked if the story surrounding his team-mates booing Campbell was true, Wenger told German magazine 11 Freunde: "They did that, and they also made jokes about it.

Sol Campbell caused controversy when he moved from Spurs to Arsenal (GETTY)

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"But the situation was really stressful for Sol and he told me afterwards how severe it became.

"He couldn't go to certain places for dinner or walk freely in London because of the anger of the Tottenham fans. In hindsight, I'm not sure if I would sign him again bearing in mind the difficulties he faced."

As mentioned, the fact that were was very little speculation surrounding the transfer only added to the shock feel of the move. The journalists in attendance when Campbell was unveiled were there expecting to see Arsenal confirm the signing of goalkeeper Richard Wright from Ipswich.

Wenger did go on to discuss how he managed to keep the move under wraps, as he added: "We walked around the house in the countryside at night. I knew that it would cause heated debates in London, but I was truly convinced by the player.

"I thought he was capable of facing the adversity. For me, it was easy because everybody was conscious that I had signed a great player. But for him, it was more complicated."

There has not been a player that has made the move from Tottenham to Arsenal since Campbell, but William Gallas went in the opposite direction after his Gunners contract expired to burn any last bridges he had at the Emirates.

Josh O'Brien