Wenger had taken over as Arsenal manager in the summer of 1996, and the first thing he did was bring Patrick Vieira to the club for £3.5m from AC Milan. The Frenchman was just 20 years of age at the time, but Wenger felt he was a player with huge potential. He wasn't wrong, and Vieira is now thought of as one of the best players ever to represent the Gunners. He adjusted to life in the Premier League with ease, and his imposing physical frame, elegance on the ball and bite in the tackle soon made him one of the most fearsome central midfielders around. In just Vieira's second season at the club, Arsenal won the league and cup double, and he had been hugely influential alongside Emmanuel Petit. For the following six seasons he was named in the PFA Team of the Year every time. Wenger made him captain in 2002, and two years later Vieira led the north London club to an incredible unbeaten Premier League season, in which they also romped to the title. At this point there wasn't a more complete midfielder in world football. The 1998 World Cup winner left Highbury in 2005, and his final act was to score the winning penalty in the FA Cup final shootout against United. It was a fitting way to leave, and that £3.5m proved to be the best bargain buy in Arsenal's history.
