I was one of Arsene Wenger’s best signings, but Arsenal move put me through Hell off the pitch | OneFootball

Ask any Arsenal fan for their favourite signing ever and you can bet the controversial nature of that deal for Sol Campbell will be right up there.

Okay, Thierry Henry is surely the Gunners’ greatest ever player in terms of sheer natural talent, while homegrown heroes like Tony Adams will have a special place in many Gooners’ hearts.

Campbell, however, did what very few players have done and crossed the divide in north London – moving from Tottenham to Arsenal on a free transfer in 2001.

The former England international came to the end of his contract at Spurs, and at one point it looked like he was going to stay and sign a new deal.

Campbell went back on that promise, though, and instead of joining other interested clubs like Manchester United, Barcelona and Juventus, he chose the most controversial option possible by moving to Arsenal.

Sol Campbell was a great player for Arsenal, but the move came at a considerable personal cost

Sol Campbell in action for Arsenal (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Campbell probably won’t have too many regrets about his move to Highbury, as he won two Premier League titles there, as well as other major honours.

The towering centre-back was also part of that legendary 2003/04 Invincibles side, guaranteeing himself a special place in English football’s history books.

However, Arsene Wenger later admitted he’s not sure he’d go through with the Campbell signing again, given what it did to the player and his life off the pitch.

“I knew that it would cause heated debates in London, but I was truly con­vinced by the player,” Wenger said in an interview a few years ago.

“I thought he was capable of facing the adver­sity. For me, it was easy because ever­y­body was con­scious that I had signed a great player. But for him, it was more com­pli­cated.

“The situa­tion was really stressful for Sol and he told me after­wards how severe it became. He couldn’t go to cer­tain places for dinner or walk freely in London because of the anger of the Tot­tenham fans.

“In hind­sight, I’m not sure if I would sign him again bea­ring in mind the dif­fi­cul­ties he faced.”

That’s some statement by Wenger on a player who contributed so much to Arsenal on the pitch, but whose life clearly became hugely challenging off it.