The 5 most questionable Arsenal winter transfer window signings – ranked
Arsenal are one of England’s biggest and most posh clubs. Located in a prime location in North London, their move from the Highbury to The Emirates all those years ago has transformed them for a big club to a European superpower.
Recently, this status has gotten tarnished and they are on the edge of falling back into the previous bracket unless Unai Emery makes more smart signings like the ones they managed in the summer prior to the start of the current season.
While they have made some highly successful winter signings, let’s take at some of the most confusing deals completed by the Gunners during the January transfer window in the last decade.
5.Thomas Eisfeld
Thomas Eisfeld was a highly rated youngster who was signed from the renowned Borrusia Dortmund youth academy. After arriving in the winter window of 2012, he managed just 2 League Cup appearances in his one-and-a-half seasons at the club before eventually being sold to Fulham.
4.Gabriel Paulista
Gabriel arrived from Villareal in the winter of 2015 with massive expectations on his shoulder. He was brought in to succeed an ageing Per Mertesacker and was expected to stay an Arsenal centre-half for a long time to come. Unfortunately, his stint at The Emirates was filled with individual mistakes and careless errors, which didn’t go down well with the Arsenal faithful.
He made over 60 appearances for the Gunners but never really nailed down the starting spot which meant that after more than 2 years at the club, he was finally sold back to La Liga outfit Valencia.
3.Ryo Miyaichi
Another typical Arsene Wenger signing, Ryo Miyaichi was signed from Japanese club Chukyo HS with massive potential. He signed with the Gunners in the January window of 2011 and was immediately loaned out to Feyernood.
He played just 7 games for the Gunners during his term at The Emirates that included just one substitute appearance in the Premier League. He had various loan spells before joining St.Pauli on a free transfer.
2.Krystian Bielik
Still out on loan at Charlton from Arsenal, this Polish youngster was signed from Legia Warsaw as a 17-year-old. He was touted to be the next big defender for the Gunners and was seen as a player who could be moulded for the Arsenal first team.
Now 21, Bielik is yet to start a game for the Gunners and has only featured in the EFL cup – making 2 substitute appearances.
1.Wellington Silva
This talented Brazilian arrived at the Emirates from Fluminense full of potential but multiple work permit issues added to his footballing inconsistency meant that he was at the club for more than 5 years but never made a single first-team appearance. He spent loan spells at various clubs before finally being sold back to Fluminense in 2016.