Many famous football players have flourished when they made the move to Arsenal. Thierry Henry, one of the EPL top scorers, is one such player who achieved tremendous success after moving to the London side from Juventus. However, there are many examples of others who failed to shine at the Gunners, despite receiving many opportunities at the club.
Marouane Chamakh
Marouane Chamakh had made a big name for himself at Bordeaux. The former Morocco international had helped the Girondins win several major trophies, including the Ligue 1 in 2009. Famous for his excellent heading ability and link-up play, the forward notched 56 goals for the French side in 230 league appearances. When Chamakh joined Arsenal on a free transfer in the summer of 2010, fans were greatly excited to see his play at the Emirates Stadium. He looked very promising in the beginning for the Gunners but soon fell out of favour with Arsene Wenger after failing to make a big impact. During his time in London, he managed to score only eight goals in 40 league matches. Chamakh went on to join West Ham on loan in January 2013 before signing for Crystal Palace. Arsenal released him from the club after the expiration of his contract in 2014.
Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner is an academy graduate of Arsenal who spent a long time at the London side. However, his spell at the Gunners wasn’t successful on the whole, with his off-field antics, injuries and inconsistency stopping him from living up to his true potential. The Danish footballer made 171 appearances across all competitions for the Londoners, scoring 47 goals and creating 22 assists in the process (stats from Transfermarkt). Although regarded as a flop at Arsenal, Bendtner also had some memorable moments at the London side when he showed how good he can be on his day. One of these displays came in the 5-0 win over Porto in the Champions League quarter-finals in 2009. The forward smashed three goals to became the second player in the club’s history to earn a hat-trick in the European competition. He also has the distinction of scoring the fastest goal by a substitute in the Premier League, with the Dane striking against Tottenham Hotspur in 2006 six seconds after leaving the bench.
Shkodran Mustafi
Shkodran Mustafi is also one of the biggest flops at Arsenal. The Gunners splashed a tremendous £35 million to secure a deal for him in the summer of 2016. Before arriving in London, the centre-back had proved his skills at Sampdoria and Valencia. There were lots of expectations that he would do well at the Emirates Stadium. However, the German defender failed to make an impact at the Premier League outfit, despite being given plenty of opportunities. He developed a reputation for errors and so became a target of criticism from the Gunners’ fans. Mustafi clocked up 151 appearances across all competitions during his time at the club, netting nine goals and creating five assists in the process. Arsenal failed to finish in the Top Four last season. They are currently scouring the market for signing talented players like Ben White in this transfer window, as per thefootballreports.com.
