Arsenal have a stronger connection to France than most teams in England. Arsene Wenger's arrival as manager at the club in 1996 saw many of the top talents in France head to north London to team up with Wenger.

Before he even officially became manager at Arsenal, Wenger recommended compatriots Remi Garde and Patrick Vieira to the club. From there, the French players kept coming to Arsenal. Since Wenger left Arsenal in 2018, only two French players have joined the club.

Matteo Guendouzi signed from Lorient in 2018 under Unai Emery, but his successor Mikel Arteta fell out with the midfielder, and he was sold to Marseille in 2022. The other French player to arrive after Wenger's reign is William Saliba, who is the only French player currently in the Gunners' first-team. Some of the best players to ever play for Arsenal have come from France. In this list, we look at the best eleven French players in the Gunners' history.

Ranking Factors

• Quality of performance - How well each player played on the pitch during their time at Arsenal
• Success - This can be measured not only through trophies won, but how well the club performed during their Arsenal careers
• Longevity - How long they stayed with the Gunners

11 Nicolas Anelka

1997 - 1999

Anelka was the first player that Arsene Wenger officially signed for the club, given that Patrick Vieira and Remi Garde arrived at Highbury before Wenger. With club legend Ian Wright approaching the end of his time at Arsenal, Wenger signed one of France's hottest prospects with the hope of him being a long-term replacement.

He had a breakthrough season in 1997-98, scoring his first goal for the club in a 3-2 win against title rivals Manchester United that season. He was a big part of Arsenal's double success in 1998 and capped off a fine season with a goal in the FA Cup final against Newcastle.

The following year, Anelka netted 17 goals in the Premier League and began to attract the interest of Europe's biggest clubs. Despite Arsenal being in contention for trophies, the lure of Real Madrid proved too difficult to resist for the striker. Branded 'Le Sulk' by the media due to stating his desire to leave the club, had Anelka stayed longer at the club, he would feature far higher on the list. The striker struggled to settle anywhere during his career, and played for 12 different clubs.

10 Emmanuel Petit

1997 - 2000

Petit started his professional career at Monaco, where he played under Arsene Wenger. The pair reunited in London in 1997, as Wenger raided his former club to sign Petit. In France, Petit played several positions, including at full-back and in central defence.

He played a deep-lying role at Arsenal, and his previous experience in defence ensured his positioning was usually spot on. He covered well when other players were forward, and could unlock defences with his accurate passing. Petit's partnership in the midfield with Patrick Vieira helped the Gunners to double success in 1998, and had long-term potential. The partnership only lasted three years, however, as Petit left for Barcelona in 2000.

9 Alexandre Lacazette

2017 - 2022

Lacazette joined Arsenal for a then club-record fee of £46.5m from the striker's hometown club Lyon. He made an instant impact at Arsenal, scoring just 94 seconds into his Premier League debut aganst Leicester.

The arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January 2018 marked the start of an impressive strike partnership between the two. Lacazette finished his first season at Arsenal as the club's top scorer, with 17 goals in all competitions.

His best season at the club was in 2018-19, where he scored 19 times in all competitions, as Arsenal finished runners-up in the Europa League. As a result, Lacazette won the club's Player of the Season award, despite Aubameyang scoring more goals.

Although his form dipped slightly in 2019-20, he helped Arsenal win the FA Cup that season. He then bounced back with 17 goals the following year, finishing 2020-21 as Arsenal's top scorer once again. At a time when Arsenal were transitioning between managers, and their league performance was inconsistent, Lacazette delivered for the club. He returned to Lyon in 2022 following the expiry of his contract.

8 William Saliba

2019 - Present

Saliba may have joined Arsenal in 2019, but it took some time for him to find a place in the Arsenal team. The French defender was sent back to his homeland for loan spells with Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille before finally getting his chance at the Emirates in 2022.

His impact on the defence was so big that when Saliba was injured for the closing months of the 2022-23 season, many fans felt his absence cost the Gunners the title that season. His partnership with Gabriel has helped make Arsenal one of the meanest defences in the league, with the two forming an incredible partnership.

Saliba won possession more than any other centre-back in the league last season and offers a calming presence to Arsenal's defence. Provided he stays at Arsenal and continues to perform at a high level, there's no doubt he will earn a higher spot on this list in the future.

7 Bacary Sagna

2007-2014

Solid, dependable and extremely versatile, Sagna was an unsung hero during his seven years at Arsenal. His consistency at right-back saw Emmanuel Eboue lose his place at the position, soon after he had established himself there.

He was rewarded for his consistency by earning a place in the PFA Team of the Year in his debut season at the club. His versatility saw him fill in at left-back and centre-back when required, where he played so well, that you wouldn't have noticed he was out of position.

Arsenal struggled for silverware during Sagna's time at the club. His only trophy during his seven-year stay in London came in his final game for the club - the 2014 FA Cup final win over Hull.

6 Sylvain Wiltord

2000 - 2004

Wiltord was a club-record signing when he arrived at Arsenal from Bordeaux for £13m in 2000. Despite the large outlay, he wasn't guaranteed a starting role in London every week. With Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Kanu all at the club, Wiltord was part of a strong attacking rotation.

Although he was a striker, Wiltord could also play on either wing, which helped him get into the starting line-up at times. He is best remembered for his title-winning goal at Old Trafford against Manchester United in 2002. That season was his most prolific at Arsenal, as he bagged 17 goals in Arsenal's double winning campaign. He was also a part of the Invincibles side in 2004, but by that point, he was on the fringes of the team. Wiltord returned to France with Lyon in 2004, where he won three consecutive Ligue 1 titles.

5 Olivier Giroud

2012 - 2018

Giroud arrived at Arsenal in the summer of 2012, just as Robin van Persie was about to leave the club. He faced the unenviable task of trying to replace Arsenal's captain and star player.

The French striker was capable of the sublime - his scorpion kick against Crystal Palace in 2017 is a fine example of that. Giroud is a divisive figure among Arsenal fans. He scored in one FA Cup final for Arsenal and also provided two match-winning assists in another two FA Cup finals, so he certainly contributed in big moments. However, some point to his 12-match goal drought in 2015-16 as a reason why Arsenal didn't win the Premier League that season. His performance against Monaco in the Champions League in 2015, where he missed many opportunities, is often cited by those who speak less fondly of Giroud.

Overall, Giroud scored 105 times for Arsenal in his six years at the club. He is one of only 19 players with 100 or more goals for Arsenal. Sure, there were times he was frustrating, but Giroud certainly deserves some respect.

4 Laurent Koscielny

2010 - 2019

One year with Lorient in Ligue 1 was the only top-flight experience Koscielny had before he joined Arsenal in 2010. In his first year, it showed. He was sent off on his Premier League debut in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool, and his season was a mixture of highs and lows. A magnificent performance in Arsenal's win over Barcelona in February 2011 was a standout high. Later that month, Koscielny's mix-up with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny allowed Obafemi Martins to score a late winner for Birmingham in the League Cup final.

The following season, Per Mertesacker arrived from Werder Bremen, with the German paired with Koscielny at the heart of Arsenal's defence. A commanding centre-back, Koscielny also knew how to score a goal. His goals on the final day of the season at both West Brom and Newcastle helped Arsenal secure Champions League qualification in consecutive seasons. Koscielny also scored Arsenal's equaliser in the 2014 FA Cup final to help win his first trophy with the club.

A regular throughout his years at Arsenal when fit, Koscielny often wore the armband whenever the club captains were unavailable. He was officially made the club captain for his final season at Arsenal in 2018-19. In 2019, Koscielny refused to travel on Arsenal's pre-season tour, stating his desire to return to France. He was sold to Bordeaux that summer.

3 Robert Pires

2000 - 2006

Pires took some time to adjust to the English game, but once he did, he proved a special talent. His vision and flair on the wing replaced the talents Arsenal missed from the departing Marc Overmars. An integral part of Arsenal's double success in 2002, a knee injury cruelly cut his season short.

He enjoyed a derby against Tottenham more than most, netting eight times against Spurs during his time at Arsenal. He scored the winner against Southampton in the 2003 FA Cup final and had arguably his best season during the Invincibles season in 2003-04. Pires' combination with Ashley Cole down the left-hand side was difficult to stop, with two of the best players in the world working together.

One of his more memorable goals was his lob over Peter Schmeichel against Aston Villa in 2002, but Pires scored many special goals during his time at the club. An undisputed legend of the club, Pires left Arsenal to join Villarreal in 2006. His final appearance for the club was cut short in the 2006 Champions League final, as he made way for Manuel Almunia following Jens Lehmann's early dismissal.

2 Patrick Vieira

1996 - 2005

Vieira was the cog that made everything work in Arsenal's midfield for almost a decade. The towering Frenchman was a dominant force in Arsenal's midfield, with a tireless energy that made him a contributor to both the defence and the attack. Following the retirement of long-term captain Tony Adams in 2002, Vieira took the captain's armband at Highbury.

A natural leader, Vieira's battles with Manchester United's Roy Keane immediately spring to mind when anybody talks about the Premier League during that era. Vieira was the captain of the Invincibles team in 2003-04 and scored the goal to clinch victory over Leicester on the final day of the season. His final game for the club was the 2005 FA Cup final, in which he scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out against Manchester United. Following years of speculation surrounding Vieira's future at the club, he moved to Juventus in 2005.

1 Thierry Henry

1999 - 2007 and 2012

The greatest player in Arsenal's history, bar none. Henry arrived as a winger from Juventus in 1999, but by the time he left the club in 2007, he was one of the most prolific strikers in the world. It took him nine games to score his first goal against Southampton, and by the end of the season, he had 26 goals.

From there, he gradually became instrumental to Arsenal's success. Talk of Arsenal being a 'one-man team' was common at the time, due to Henry scoring so many goals. This, despite the Gunners have a squad loaded with talent. Arsenal were regular trophy winners with Henry at the club, his 32 goals in 2001-02 were a major part of Arsenal's double success. For five straight seasons between 2001-02 and 2005-06, Henry scored 30 or more goals.

So often he came to Arsenal's rescue and dragged them out of losing positions or won them games almost single-handedly. He became Arsenal's record goalscorer in 2005, breaking Ian Wright's record at the club. Not only was Henry an excellent goalscorer, he was unselfish and regularly assisted his team-mates too.

Henry returned in 2012, on loan from MLS side New York Red Bulls. He scored on his second debut against Leeds, which remains an iconic moment in the Emirates era at the club.