'The bones of a very good side that had a defense at its peek which had won the league 5 years before' I was talking about was the 96/97 one.
But since you want to write Seaman Dixon Winterburn Adams Keown Parlour Bergkamp and Wright out of history we'll talk about the others.
Cole joined the club as a schoolboy and Campbell also fell in his lap for free too from them. 😆
You really don't think he would have actively gone out and pursued them as mature players if they didn't?
So that leaves Lauren and Toure as Wengers sole non French successful acquisitions, although they are both Francophones.
I would add in Overmars too.
Not a huge list for 15 years is it?
I maintain that inheriting some great players plus having good connections to French ones (at a time when it was unusual, indeed a golden time for French football in general) was lucky for Wenger and it did benefit us immensely.
It's a pity Nasri doesn't hold him in more esteem.
