Alexandre Lacazette has arrived at Arsenal as the club’s record breaking £52m striker.

Lacazette has already been compared to Ian Wright while he says he grew up admiring Thierry Henry and Arsenal’s rich tradition of French forwards.

So, who are Arsenal’s best forwards from the Arsene Wenger era?

John Cross picks his top five Arsenal marksmen…

5 Olivier Giroud

Olivier Giroud has been a major presence for the Gunners (
Image:
Arsenal FC)


Often under appreciated and under loved, Giroud has been so reliable and effective for Arsene Wenger after arriving for a relative bargain £11m in 2012.
Giroud’s stats and ratios are outstanding, scores goals and provides a direct threat. People say he’s not a big game player but he’s a big character and a real presence in the dressing room.
Wenger will not want to lose Giroud and the big centre forward has fought off competition in the past and is not a quitter.

4 Ian Wright

Ian Wright became one of the greatest goalscorers in the club's history (
Image:
Getty)


Even though Wright only caught the beginning of Wenger and arguably had his best days under George Graham, no list of strikers can be complete without this goal machine.
A fabulous character, infectious enthusiasm and ruthless finisher. The Arsenal fans loved him and still do.
A fully fledged legend.

3 Nicolas Anelka

Nicolas Anelka played a key role in the Double winning season in 1998 (
Image:
Getty)


He was not at Arsenal for that long before he threw his toys out of the pram and lived up to his Le Sulk nickname.
But if one player epitomises Wenger’s reputation of unearthing relative unknowns for bargains - Kolo Toure another great example - and turning them into stars then it was Anelka. Signed for £500,000, sold for £24m and paid for the new training ground.
Anelka also scored great goals in the 1998 Double winning season.

2 Dennis Bergkamp

Dennis Bergkamp was a game changer for Arsenal (
Image:
Daily Mirror)


Signed by Bruce Rioch, Bergkamp was a game changer for Arsenal and English football because he was a fully fledged world class superstar and arguably the biggest name in the Premier League when he arrived in 1995.
His touch of class, invention and vision was superb. Former players gush about his technique in training while his goals speak for themselves.
Bergkamp’s turn and finish at Newcastle was a work of art, a unique goal from an incredible player.

1 Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry became Arsenal's record goalscorer (
Image:
Daily Mirror)

The France star arrived at Arsenal in 1999 after flopping at Juventus and admitted he feared his early shots were likely to hit the famous old clock at Highbury rather than the back of the net.
He finished as Arsenal’s record goalscorer, their best ever striker and was the best centre forward in the world for at least a couple of seasons.
Henry’s eye for the spectacular, connection with the fans and incredible will-to-win make him one of the best strikers of all time.

I've had to leave out Sylvain Wiltord whose goal won a title and Jose Antonio Reyes who gave the Invincibles a lift.
One little foot note - he was before the Wenger era, but Alan Smith should always be remembered as an Arsenal great. Top scorer in the 1989 and 1991 title winning seasons, he was a fabulous player, great team player and if he has been around in Wenger’s time would have loved it.

The three worst

Francis Jeffers

Francis Jeffers was an overpriced flop (
Image:
Daily Mirror)

Thierry Henry said Arsenal needed a “fox in the box” but they ended up with an overpriced flop.

Davor Sukur

Davor Suker failed to show his best form for Arsenal (
Image:
Daily Mirror)

Terrific player, signed past his sell by date and never lived up to his glorious CV and reputation.

Lucas Perez

Lucas Perez has been a major disappointment for the north London club (
Image:
David Price)

Bit harsh? Probably. But he did cost £17m and sulked from almost day one. No wonder he didn’t get much of a look-in.