French players have a long history of being successfully transferred to Arsenal, and Arsene Wenger’s successes laid the groundwork for the team’s current standing. Mikel Arteta may now be in a position to continue that legendary tradition should he revive an old bond.
What is the wealth of Olivier Giroud?
The most well-known player they brought over from the continent is unquestionably Thierry Henry, but Olivier Giroud is a more recent star who made an impact after joining the Emirates.
The youngster had raced through Ligue 1 with Montpellier, scoring 21 goals and throwing out 12 assists as they won the most unlikely of titles. A move to north London held enormous potential for him.
The 36-year-old’s spell with the Gunners may still be viewed as a success given that he would go on to score 105 goals in only 253 games, even though he would only win a few FA Cups and Community Shields during that time.
The strong striker made the transfer with ease, and although though many fans were disappointed by his move to Chelsea, a substantial portion of the public still has great memories of the stylish Frenchman. This is particularly accurate in light of the fact that his Transfermarkt worth rose during his tenure there, reaching a high of €27 million (£23 million) in 2017. It has since fallen to just €4 million (£3 million), reflecting his old age and dwindling influence.
The linkages that suggest sporting director Edu Gaspar might repeat such a lesson with Elye Wahi will likely have supporters scrambling to complete such a deal, despite the fact that the proposed amount of €40 million (£34 million) is somewhat exorbitant.
Elye Wahi’s calibre, perhaps?
The 20-year-old genius is just 6 feet tall, whereas the AC Milan giant is a towering 6 feet 4 inches, so they don’t exactly match up physically, but because both of their professional lives have barely started, it is difficult to ignore parallels.
Both were successful while playing for Montpellier, and should Wahi decide to switch teams this summer, both had deals in place to move to the Emirates after having outstanding years as goal scorers.
The youngster increased his ten goals from the previous season to 19 league goals and six further assists just last season.
A former director of the Caen academy, Francis de Taddeo, tried to explain his achievements and the bright career he is likely to have despite the fact that such opulent shape was guaranteed to draw attention:
He is a player that dribbles with a range of skills and is strong, athletic, quick, and only he knows what he will do next.
Like Giroud did, he has the physicality and lightning-fast speed to present serious obstacles for centre backs and cause serious problems for the opposition.
The towering finisher was never very fast, but he had a certain air of refinement that set him apart from other gruff nines of the era. De Taddeo said that he easily adjusted to English football and that Wahi would do the same.
Wenger’s praise for his star attacker at the time in 2017 is still memorable today:
“I eventually allowed him in since I had other strikers, and even though he must play, I don’t want him to leave. When he finally decided to stay, it was one of the finest days I’d had in a while. I am aware of how important he is to the team as a whole as well as just as a player (he is a fantastic player). I was relieved that he decided to stay. When Giroud is at the top of his game, he is at his best.
It would be obvious that Wahi would be considered another transfer masterclass with Edu at its centre if he were to achieve the same success as Giroud by taking the same path.
