Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has revealed what he feels was his best ever January signing while at the club, as well as expressing his thoughts on the winter market.
Despite having signed current superstar Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in his final January window, the Frenchman named Nwankwo Kanu as his best ever transfer deal in the middle of the season.
The Nigerian arrived at Highbury in January 1999 from Inter for a fee of £4.15m and hit the ground running - scoring six in 12 league games by the end of the season.
Although the former Portsmouth striker often played second fiddle to Arsenal icon Thierry Henry, he still managed to finish his first full season with a very good tally of 17 goals in 50 appearances in all competitions, while he would go on to play a minor role in the 'Invincibles' season of 2003/04.
While the club also signed the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Andrey Arshavin and Nacho Monreal in the January window under Wenger, he chose Kanu as his greatest winter signing, explaining to beIN Sport : "In the middle of the season. That had a big impact and he was a huge player."
For the former Monaco manager to select Kanu is high praise indeed, and testament to the quality of a striker who is often forgotten among the plethora of great strikers the club has had in the Premier League era.
As for the mid-season market itself, Wenger is certainly not a fan, saying: "I think it is like a race in a marathon where you change the shoes halfway, it is not right, when once you have started the season, you have to finish the season with the same players.
"Or you keep it open the whole season like it was when I arrived in England. They have chosen a rule that is not right."
Although managers are often reluctant to do their business outside of the summer window and many seem to be against it, it remains unlikely that the January window will be scrapped completely.
Source : 90min