Ranking Arsenal's 2014 Transfer Window Signings on Last Season's Efforts

Over the course of the 2014/15 season, Arsene Wenger was unusually busy in the transfer market.

The Gunners boss made seven separate additions to the Arsenal roster, in stark contrast to his usual mantra of squad stability.

In this piece, we rank the new boys according to their impact across the campaign, attempting to determine their influence in Arsenal’s success. It’s not a measure of ability, merely of their contribution in their debut season. Read on to discover which of the new arrivals fared best.

7. Krystian Bielik

Teenage Pole Krystian Bielik arrived in January with a glowing reputation, but he is still awaiting his first-team debut. Although he has trained regularly with the senior squad, it’s clear Arsene Wenger still believes the youngster needs to acclimatise to the demands of English football before taking to the field in an Arsenal shirt.

In the long term, he may prove to be an astute acquisition. However, it seems it will be some time before Gunners fans see the benefit of Wenger’s investment in Bielik.

6. Mathieu Debuchy

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When Mathieu Debuchy was called upon by Arsenal, he generally looked very assured. Signed as a replacement for Bacary Sagna, Debuchy looked every bit the experienced defender Arsenal hoped for.

Sadly, two serious injuries waylaid his season. By the end of the campaign, Debuchy appeared to have fallen behind young upstart Hector Bellerin in the pecking order, and doubts now remain over his capacity to reclaim his place come next season.

5. Gabriel Paulista

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Brazilian centre-half Gabriel Paulista only made a handful of appearances after arriving in January, but on every outing he showcased something to excite the Arsenal fans.

In many ways, he’s reminiscent of Laurent Koscielny. Like the Frenchman, Gabriel is quick, aggressive and is a relatively late developer enjoying a dramatic rise through elite European football.

His signing gave Arsenal depth at centre-half and afforded them the opportunity to rotate their defenders when required.

4. Calum Chambers

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Although Calum Chambers endured a difficult second half of the season, it should not be forgotten that he made an outstanding start to life at Arsenal.

Playing at centre-half to cover for the absence of Laurent Koscielny, Chambers showed confidence and positional awareness well beyond his years. His excellent form even saw him rewarded with a senior England cap.

Although he fared less well in spells at right-back and central midfield, the indications are that Arsene Wenger has unearthed a young talent who could be a major player for Arsenal for years to come.

3. Danny Welbeck

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Although Danny Welbeck would have hoped to have been more prolific in his inaugural Arsenal season, he was still a major contributor to their campaign.

When Olivier Giroud was absent for three months with a broken leg, Welbeck led the line relatively well, with his best moment being a memorable hat-trick against Galatasaray.

Once Giroud returned, Arsene Wenger tended to prefer deploying Welbeck out wide. His goal threat diminished but his hard work never did. His reward came in the FA Cup quarter-final with Manchester United, when he poked home the winning goal against his former club.

The England international will look back on 2014/15 as a decent season but one with clear room to kick on.

2. David Ospina

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Given that David Ospina was signed to provide competition and cover for Wojciech Szczesny, his debut season has to be considered a significant success. Not only did Ospina fight Szczesny for his first-team place—by January he had taken it for himself.

The Colombian acquitted himself well in English football, even if he was not always entirely convincing when dealing with aerial bombardment.

Bizarrely, despite being a successful signing, the acrobatic keeper could find himself sold off after just 12 months. According to Sabah Daily (h/t TalkSport), he is a target for Turkish side Fenerbahce amid reports that Chelsea’s Petr Cech will move across London.

1. Alexis Sanchez

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What more can be said about Alexis Sanchez’s incredible first season with Arsenal? The Gunners paid a marquee price and got a marquee player in return. Alexis has been awesome.

In the Premier League, the Chilean notched 16 goals and eight assists, predominantly from a position on the left wing. However, his contribution was not limited to one competition, as demonstrated by his stunning goal in the FA Cup final.

Alexis wasn’t just Arsenal’s best signing of 2014/15. He was their best player too.

What do you think of our rankings? Have your say in the comments below.