Arsene Wenger’s 22-year reign in charge of Arsenal saw him manage some sensational players, and some all-time greats of the game.
Wenger helped develop the likes of Patrick Vieira and Nicolas Anelka in his early years at Arsenal, and also worked with superstars such as Dennis Bergkamp.
The Frenchman was renowned for his ability to outsmart the market and find unknown bargains, but he did also make some superstar signings, with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez arriving in his later years from Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Despite predominantly finding bargains in his first few years at Highbury, Wenger did occasionally recruit a big name, and after losing Anelka in the summer of 1999, he signed two attackers in the space of two days, and both ended their careers as huge names in the sport.
Arsenal signed Davor Suker and Thierry Henry within two days in 1999
Arsenal realised they had to replace Ian Wright and Anelka with similar quality, and brought in two names who were well-known in England.
On 2nd August 1999, Davor Suker arrived from Real Madrid in a deal worth around £3.5m. The 31-year-old was the top scorer at the 1998 World Cup the year before, and was Croatia’s all-time top scorer.
“It was imperative that we strengthened the strike-force at Arsenal before the start of the season and Davor is a special talent who will help boost our campaign,” Wenger stated after Suker’s arrival.
“He is a quality striker with experience in the Champions’ League and will undoubtedly be a great asset for us.”
Suker was a big name at Sevilla and Real Madrid, and was a Champions League and La Liga winner. He was regarded as one of the great strikers of his generation, even if he was slightly past his best.
One day later, on 3rd August 1999, Wenger signed Thierry Henry from Juventus for around £11m. Whilst Suker was the World Cup Golden Boot holder, Henry was a winner, having been part of the successful France squad alongside Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit.
Thierry Henry and Davor Suker went on very different paths after joining Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal
Whilst Suker was outstanding earlier on in his career, his time at Arsenal was more forgettable. He did score 11 goals in 39 games, but missed a penalty in the shootout of the UEFA Cup final defeat against Galatasaray.
His eight Premier League goals came in 22 appearances, with three braces making up six of those goals, and he moved to West Ham just one year after his arrival.
It was a different story for Henry. After a slow start on the wings, he moved to a central striking role, and replaced Anelka with ease.
“Thierry Henry is a valuable addition to our squad. He is a young international striker who will be a great asset to Arsenal Football Club. He has good experience of both club and international football and will considerably strengthen our firepower,” Wenger stated of Henry after he joined.
The Frenchman became arguably the greatest player in Premier League history under Wenger, helping to win two League titles, and left in 2007 as the club’s all-time top scorer.
Whilst Suker’s time at Arsenal has been mostly forgotten, Henry is now immortalised with a statue outside the Emirates Stadium, and is regarded as one of Wenger’s best ever signings, with the manager deciding to sign him after working with him at Monaco before his tough time at Juventus.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
