Arsenal are clearly in the market for a striker this summer. The Gunners have been linked with Gonzalo Higuain, Luis Suarez, Wayne Rooney and a host of other forwards.
Whoever Arsene Wenger gets, he’ll hope they work out better than this bunch of no-hopers. The Frenchman has signed his share of dodgy strikers in his time in north London.
1. Francis Jeffers
Where better to start than with the fox in the box himself. He was signed from Everton for £8m in 2001, but scored just four goals in 22 games during three years at the club.
Despite barely registering as an Arsenal player, he managed to pick up two FA Cup winners’ and one Premier League winners’ medals during his time at the club.
The well-travelled Jeffers is currently plying his trade for Accrington Stanley.
2. Marouane Chamakh
Wenger snapped up former Bordeaux striker Chamakh on a free transfer, but the gamble hasn’t really paid off.
The Morocco international managed eight goals in 40 games after joining in 2010 before drifting further and further out of the first-team picture. He went on loan to West Ham in January and could barely get a game there.
His Arsenal future doesn’t look bright.
3. Park Chu Young
One of Wenger’s most bizarre signings. He plucked the South Korea international part-way through his medical at French side Lille and paid a reported £2.7m to sign him.
At first it looked like a cynical ploy to sell more shirts in the Far East… but the former Monaco striker has been so rarely seen in an Arsenal shirt that even that makes little sense.
He spent last season on loan at Spanish side Celta Vigo.
4. Gervinho
Ah, Gervinho. He’s an enigma to the Emirates crowd, to his team-mates and probably to himself.
The occasional flashes of brilliance – some of which have resulted in his nine goals from 45 appearances – have appeared to infrequently to justify his £10.8m and are often interspersed with really poor finishing and lapses of concentration.
5. Kaba Diawara
Diawara was signed by Wenger in 1998. He spent only one season with the Gunners, playing 15 times and failing to find the net (though he did hit the woodwork. A lot.).
The £2.5m signing left to pursue a career as a professional journeyman striker.
6. Nicklas Bendtner
Bendtner joined Arsenal as a teenager and performed well for the reserves. Arsene Wenger thought he was grooming a team of world-beaters among his second-string outfit.
Despite the Dane’s proclamations to the contrary and Wenger’s considerable patience, it turns out he’s not the best striker in the world.
The Gunners are now desperately trying to re-home him.
7. Christopher Wreh
Unlike Southampton ‘star’ Ali Dia, Wreh was a cousin of George Weah who actually was George Weah’s cousin.
He was signed from Monaco for £300,000. It turned out he wasn’t quite of the same level as Ian Wright, Dennis Bergkamp or, later, Thierry Henry.
Wreh scored four goals for the club, albeit four important goals, before shuffling off to play for most of the teams in world football.
8. Andrey Arshavin
We haven’t got enough material for a list of Arsene Wenger’s top 10 worst Arsenal reluctant left-wingers. In truth, the Russian was at his best for the Gunners when he was playing in his preferred second striker role.
But most Gooners – and probably Arsene Wenger – would agree that they never saw £12m-worth of effort from Arshavin.
9. Jeremie Aliadiere
One of the proto-Arsene’s kids. Aliadiere followed the now well-trodden path of giving reserve teams and League Cup opponents a good kicking, only to turn out to be of insufficient quality to play for the Arsenal first-team.
The Frenchman scored just one league goal, and was consistently being touted as a hot prospect… until somebody noticed he was in his mid-twenties and it was probably time to flog him.
10. Tomas Danilevicius
Wenger paid £1m for Lithuanian striker Danilevicius in 2000. He played twice in the Premier League, but didn’t find the net and didn’t hang around.
Honorable mentions
Sylvain Wiltord: Important goals but not enough to justify his £13m transfer fee.
Davor Suker: Ageing great isn’t really Wenger’s style and Suker was a strange exception. Scored a few goals, but achieved little of note.
Have we missed someone? Leave us a comment below.
