Prior to rewriting the coaching manual at Arsenal, Wenger famously spent time managing in Japan. In 2001, the Gunners thought that had unearthed a potential world beater with the £4million signing of midfield Juninchi Inamoto. The then-21-year-old had been touted as the next Hidetoshi Nakata and had already broken into the Japanese national team before making the move to Europe. However, despite a strong showing at the World Cup, Inamoto was released that summer. He would go on to make over 80 international appearances, additionally enjoying moderate success in club football, but his time at Arsenal could only be remembered as a hugely disappointing exercise.
