Arsene Wenger's top 10 Arsenal signings - #8

Kolo Toure

© Offside

Following less successful spells elsewhere in his eight seasons post-Arsenal, it is easy to forget just how important Kolo Toure was to the Gunners' trophy-laden stint in the noughties.

Toure would feature 326 times under Wenger, including a number of appearances as skipper in the _nvincibles campaign of 2003-04, and bowed out of the club as a Premier League and two-time FA Cup winner.

The Ivorian centre-back, it is fair to say, was hardly a household name when plucked from ASEC Mimosas for around £150,000 in 2001, but when he joined Manchester City in 2009 the £16m transfer generated far more headlines

Wenger famously rejected the chance to sign Kolo's brother Yaya prior to the midfielder himself becoming a well-known figure at Barcelona and Manchester City - one that certainly got away.