10 Strangest Arsenal Signings Of All Time

8. Igor Stepanovs

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At number eight on this list is the centre back, Igor Stepanovs, the Latvian who spent four years with Arsenal, but only managed to register 31 appearances in all competitions. Stepanovs joined the Gunners in September 2000 - apparently the result of wind-up by Dennis Bergkamp on teammate Martin Keown. With the club captain Tony Adams sidelined, Wenger was desperate, and it was hoped that the new boy could fill the void till his return.

Signing for over £1 million, Stepanovs started his career in North London brightly, but was then part of the Arsenal side which was thumped 6-1 by eventual league champions Manchester United, a performance which subsequently meant he was trusted to appear only once again that season.

During the 2001/02 double winning campaign, Stepanovs made only six appearances and his playing time for Arsenal continued to diminish over the next two years. He eventually left the club in 2004 for the Swiss side, Grasshoppers. As signings go, Stepanovs was one of Wenger€'s worst: although he would go on to make 100 appearances for his country, the centre back was clearly not good enough for the Premier League. You have to wonder what the boss saw in him in the first place.

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Simon is an NCTJ qualified sports journalist. He has conducted interviews with Tony Adams and Peter Shilton, while also having work published in The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. Follow him on Twitter via @sr_collings.