Arsenal Player Profiles

Staff and Player Profiles

Arsène Wenger, Manager

The media and rival fans and punters alike all made fun of Arsène Wenger when he was taken out of context some two years ago. He was misquoted as saying: "I think we can go the whole season unbeaten ...", and since then that quote became the bane of many jokes. Well, guess what? Arsenal did it. Arsène Wenger led Arsenal to an astonishing season in 2003-04 where the champions did not...

Manuel Almunia, Goalkeeper

When Manuel Almunia joined Arsenal in 2004, he was another relative unknown on these shores, having only really carved out the career of a journeyman for himself in Spain, being part of seven different clubs. Few predicted that he would stick around with Arsenal for much longer than a year or two, and a number of high-profile blunders will not have helped raise him in the esteem of the fans....

Abou Diaby, Defensive Midfielder

Few players at Arsenal have more pressure on them to perform in the 2008/09 season than Abou Diaby. After a bright start to his career, following a January 2006 transfer from French club Rennes, he suffered a horrific ankle injury just four months later, caused by a brutal challenge from Sunderland's Dan Smith. By that time however, whispered comparisons had already been made between Diaby,...

Bacary Sagna, Right-back

Conventional wisdom dictates that players from foreign leagues take at least six months to adapt when they arrive in the Premiership, if they manage to do so at all. However, it seems that conventional wisdom just does not apply in the case of Bacary Sagna. Another enigmatic signing in the summer of 2007, with right-back seemingly being the least of our worries, but it took only a handful of...

Per Mertesacker, Central Defender

The 6ft 6in centre back has significant experience at both club and international level, enjoying eight seasons in the German top flight - five with Werder Bremen and three with Hannover 96 - making 221 league appearances in total and finding the net on 19 occasions.

Thomas Vermaelen, Central Defender

Vermaelen (23), who was the Ajax club captain last season, made his first team debut for the Dutch club at just 18, after playing at Youth level for Belgian side KFC Germinal Beerschot.

Laurent Koscielny, Central Defender

Arsenal Football Club has announced the signing of defender Laurent Koscielny from French Ligue 1 side Lorient on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.

Tomas Rosicky, Attacking Midfielder

Signed for Arsenal in May 2006, Tomas Rosicky was signed as a replacement for the exiting Robért Píres, also inheriting Píres' number 7 shirt. A playmaker blessed with incredible natural talent, Rosicky had an impressive World Cup scoring two goals in the Czech's win over the USA. Rosicky signed for previous club Borussia Dortmund in 2001, a year after starring in the Champions League with...

Mikel Arteta, Attacking Midfielder

Mikel signed a four-year deal with the Club after completing his move from Everton on transfer deadline day in August. The Spanish midfielder has a wealth of Premier League experience, having been at Goodison Park since 2005, and has represented Spain at Under-21 level.

Ju Young Park, Striker

Ju joined the Club from AS Monaco in August. The South Korea captain, who played in both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, scored 25 times in 91 appearances during three seasons in Ligue 1.

Robin van Persie, Forward (Captain)

Definitely one of the most skillful and technically brilliant players on our books, Robin van Persie looks like a young man with big things ahead of him. He came to Arsenal with a huge amount of both talent and ego but is starting to settle down now and we're starting to see the best of him. After coming to Arsenal with a 'bad-boy' reputation, van Persie struggled with his role on the bench...

Andre Santos, Left-back

Andre joined the Club from Fenerbahce in August. The Brazilian left-back arrived at Emirates Stadium from Super Lig champions Fenerbahce, for whom he made 52 league appearances and scored 10 times. Santos supplanted Roberto Carlos as the team's first choice left-back in his first season in Turkey.

Wojciech Szczesny, Goalkeeper

Wojciech says he is ready for the Arsenal first team – and you wouldn't bet against him achieving his goal sooner rather than later. The young Pole spent almost six months on the sidelines after breaking both arms in an unfortunate training ground incident in October 2008. Now Wojciech is back in action and back to his best.

Theo Walcott, Striker

Many have predicted a big year for the pacey young forward, and in given the physical frailties of the players in front of him, whether or not Theo Walcott can perform consistently could be one of the key success factors for the whole season. Arsène Wenger can have given him no higher vote of confidence than to hand him Thierry Henry's vacated no. 14 shirt, and, whilst further comparison's...

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Striker

Alex joined Arsenal on a long-term contract in August. A quick winger who is equally comfortable as an attacking central midfielder, the teenager moved to the Club from Southampton, where he made 44 appearances during his time on the south coast.

Aaron Ramsey, Attacking Midfielder

One of the brightest young British talents, Ramsey joined Arsenal from Cardiff City in June of 2008 for around £5m. Also courted by Manchester United and Everton, he later declared that his decision to move to North London was largely based upon his personal meetings with Arsène Wenger. An attacking midfielder with superb technique and goal-scoring ability, the Welshman, affectionately known...

Alex Song, Defensive Midfielder

Alex Song spent the 2005-06 season on loan at Arsenal before joining the club permanently in June 2006. A physically imposing central midfielder, he is now beginning to fulfil the immense potential seen in him by Arsène Wenger and to establish himself as a leading member of the first team. The Cameroon international initially struggled to make much of an impact in his first two years with...

Sebastien Squillaci, Central Defender

Part of the France 2010 World Cup squad, Sebastien is a tall, strong and vastly-experienced central defender who has made 36 appearances in the Champions League, as well as tallying 21 caps for his country. Prior to his time in Spain with Sevilla, Squillaci enjoyed a successful spell in France with Lyon by winning back-to-back Ligue 1 titles in 2007 and 2008. The combative defender was...

Jack Wilshere, Attacking Midfielder

Jack Wilshere plays as an attacking midfielder and is left-footed. Despite usually playing in the 'hole' behind the striker for the academy and reserve sides, he plays as a left or right midfielder for the first team.

Johan Djourou, Central Defender

Johan Djourou is a talented young central defender with great things ahead of him. Ivorian born, but Swiss by nationality, Djourou made rapid progress last season with many appearances for the first team. His impressive displays led to his call-up into the Swiss side which played in the 2006 World Cup. There, he made several appearances which will bode well for the future. He and Philippe...

Lukasz Fabianski, Goalkeeper

Polish international goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has signed for Arsenal from Legia Warsaw on a long term contract for an undisclosed fee.

Andrey Arshavin, Attacking Midfielder

During the January 2009 transfer window Arshavin was persistently pursued by Premier League club Arsenal. On 2 February, transfer deadline day, Andrei Arshavin had flown into England and was staying in a Hertfordshire hotel, just a few miles from the Arsenal training ground. At around 10am,[7] he left the hotel and was rumoured to be heading back to Russia, but with less than an hour of the...

Vito Mannone, Goalkeeper

Signed from Atalanta in July 2005, the Italian has worked his way through the ranks and began the current campaign as the third-choice keeper behind Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski. Last season he was on the bench for a handful of first-team games but never tasted the action.

Carl Jenkinson, Central Defender

Carl joined the Club from League One side Charlton Athletic in June.
 The promising defender, who featured nine times for Charlton's first team, is predominantly a right-back but can also play at centre-half.
 Although born in England, Carl qualifies to represent both England and Finland through his mother. The 6ft 1ins youngster has already represented both countries at...

Emmanuel Frimpong, Defensive Midfielder

Emmanuel told Arsenal.com in 2009 that he wanted to play for Ghana. But such has been his progress since then, Arsène Wenger has urged England to secure his services for themselves.

Gervais Yao Kouassi, Striker

On 12 July 2011 Gervinho completed a transfer from Lille to Arsenal for a fee believed to be around £10.5 million. He made his debut in a pre-season friendly match against 1. FC Kln, in which he scored a brace within the first 15 minutes.

Kieran Gibbs, Left-back

Kieran first shot to prominence in the FA Youth Cup run to the semi-final in 2007, grabbing a goal in both legs of the last four defeat to Manchester United. He usually operates in either central midfield or wide on the left, but impressed again at left-back in this pre-season's Emirates Cup game against Juventus.

Marouane Chamakh, Striker

Chamakh's 13 goals in the French League in 2008–09 helped them win the title, ending Lyon's seven year domination. He scored five goals in nine appearance in the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League, netting against Juventus and Bayern Munich as Bordeaux cause an upset by finishing top of their Group. He also scored against Olympiacos in the Round of 16 to set up a quarter-final tie with Lyon....

Armand Traore, Left-back

The latest highly promising left-back from the Arsenal production line, in the Clichy and Cole mould. Still only seventeen, Traore has shown huge promise in his appearances so far this season - and could be pushing Gaël Clichy for a first team spot very soon.

Yossi Benayoun, Attacking Midfielder

Yossi joined Arsenal in August and will spend the 2011/12 season on loan at Emirates Stadium.

Ryo Miyaichi, Striker

The young Japanese forward is a real prospect and impressed during a trial in the summer of 2010 when he featured in pre-season friendlies against Boreham Wood and AFC Wimbledon.

Ignasi Miquel, Central Defender

Highly-regarded central defender Ignasi enjoyed a breakthrough season with Arsenal last term and made his first-team debut against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup. The Reserves captain, who has flourished in the youth ranks since joining the Club as a 16 year-old, made an excellent impression with a commanding display. An excellent reader of the game, Ignasi was handed a second senior start...

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