Arsene Wenger brought Nicolas Anelka across the Channel on this day in 1997, signing him from Paris Saint Germain for a bargain £500,000.
Anelka was just 17 years old at the time and had already played for the PSG first team. His arrival at Highbury caused quite a storm over in France as the modest fee that Arsenal paid was much lower than what was to be expected under the Bosman Ruling.
Either way, the French youngster was now an Arsenal player and he made his debut for The Gunners in the 1996/97 season.
It looked as if Anelka was viewed to be the long-term replacement for club legend Ian Wright. He stepped up to replace the club’s all-time record goalscorer when Wright was injured in the winter of 1997 and kept his place in the team.
The league title was secured in the first weekend of May and victory over Newcastle United in the FA Cup Final at Wembley gave Arsenal their first Double since 1971. Anelka scored the second goal of the game, breaking the Newcastle offside trap at a blistering pace before scoring with ease.
The Frenchman was superb in the Premier League the following season, scoring 17 goals in 35 games. One highlight was a hat-trick at home to Leicester City in a 5-0 win.
Unfortunately Arsenal came up short in all competitions, narrowly missing out on the league on the final day of the season and losing in the FA Cup semi final to eventual winners Mnchester United.
Anelka was named the PFA Young Player of the Year for the 1998/99 season, but it turned out to be his last season at the club. A move to Real Madrid soon followed in a deal worth just over £23.5 million. Not a bad return for someone who cost half a million pounds just over two years earlier!
The only time that I saw Anelka play for Arsenal was a home game against Everton in late 1998. He scored the only goal of the game in the first half, hitting an unstoppable shot from the edge of the penalty area into the back of the net at the Clock End. I had a perfect view from my vantage point in the upper tier of the East Stand at that end of the ground.
In all, Anelka played 90 times for Arsenal and scored 28 times. I personally wish that he stayed at the club and never got distracted by a big-money move to Real Madrid. Then again, if he never left for the Bernabeu, Arsene Wenger wouldn’t have needed to sign Thierry Henry and he turned out to be quite a good signing!
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