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Arsenal fans are urging Mikel Arteta to dive into the January transfer window and recruit new talent.
However, the Spaniard appears to have learned from those who stood on the Emirates Stadium bench before him and is not rushing to make transfers.
With Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette set to leave the club at the end of the season, a forward is a priority this month.
However, Arteta must be sure that the player he signs is a smart hit for the club, otherwise he could end up showing up on the growing list of January flops the Gunners have signed.
Daily Star Sport breaks down the five worst signings from Arsenal’s January transfer window …
5. Ryo Miyaichi (2011) Ryo Miyaichi was nicknamed the ‘Japanese Messi’ (Image: GETTY) Read more related articles Read more related articles
Young winger Ryo Miyaichi came to Arsenal with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Nicknamed ‘The Japanese Messi’ by some, it sadly turned out to be that way for the 29-year-old and only made one Premier League appearance in North London.
After enjoying loan spells at Feyenoord, Bolton, Wigan and FC Twente, Miyaichi was sold to the German team St. Pauli. The winger made 80 appearances for the club before signing for Yokohama F. Marinos of Japan. It is not really Lionel Messi’s career … although close.
4. Denis Suárez (2019) Unai Emery really wanted to sign Denis Suárez in 2019 (Image: REUTERS)
Given how eager Unai Emery was to bring Denis Suárez to the Emirates a few years ago, many expected the loan from Barcelona to be a great talent. However, the central midfielder’s stint with the Gunners was plagued with injuries and he played 71 minutes of football in the English top flight, nothing impressive.
Obviously, Barça weren’t convinced by the brief cameos from the Spaniards, as they were sold to Celta de Vigo, and have become a regular starter on the 12th-ranked La Liga team.
3. Thomas Eisfeld (2012) Read more related articles Read more related articles
Again, expectations were too high for midfielder Thomas Eisfeld when he arrived at the club in 2021. The young German joined the club from the Borussia Dortmund academy and was expected to make a gradual transition to Arsene Wenger’s first team, but the only time he was in the coach. teams was when the club was touring Asia in the preseason.
After appearing in only a few cup games for Arsenal, Eisfield was sold to Fulham, where, again, he struggled for minutes. The midfielder found very limited opportunities at Craven Cottage and was later loaned out to German team VFL Bochum, who then made the permanent move after one season.
Since then, Eisfield has made more than 100 appearances for the Bundesliga 2 club, becoming an important and established member of the first team. Although it didn’t cost a lot of money, the midfielder was a poor recruiting piece for the Gunners.
2. Wellington Silva (2011) Wellington Silva never made a competitive appearance for Arsenal (Image: GETTY)
Signed from Fluminese for £ 3m in 2011, Wellington Silva was expected to light up the Premier League. However, the young Brazilian did not even step on the Emirates pitch in an official match due to a series of complications, namely his work permit. Terrible business is an understatement.
Silva was loaned to numerous clubs during his four-year stint with the Gunners before rejoining Fluminese on a free transfer. The 29-year-old joined Japan’s Gamba Osaka last March and has scored three goals in 29 games for the club.
1. Cohen Bramall (2017) Cohen Bramall is now looking to avoid relegation from League 1 with Lincoln City (Image: Zac Goodwin / PA Wire)
The strangest January trade Arsenal have made in the last five years is undoubtedly the purchase of Cohen Bramall. The defender was bought for £ 40,000 from Hednesford Town out of the league and was bowed to be a long-term left-back for the club.
Bramall was clearly not the player Wenger thought he was signing, despite saying he was ‘similar to Ashley Cole’ as the youngster only appeared for the club at the U23 and U21 level, enjoying a brief stint in Birmingham in the 2017/18 campaign as well.
The 25-year-old was sold to Colchester United in 2019, where he became a first-team regular, before joining Lincoln City last year. Terrible might be tough on the player himself, but you can’t forget to promote a young talent coming out of football outside of the league the way Arsenal did.
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