Amaury Bischoff: Arsenal's 'most left-field signing' ever?

It really says something when a player is described by his former club's own official website as being one of their "most left-field signings".

But that is the dubious honour that has been bestowed on Amaury Bischoff at Arsenal.

The midfielder's one-year stint at the Emirates Stadium is an enjoyable oddity that sums up the transfer dealings that became a feature of mid-to-late Arsene Wenger-era Arsenal.

Bischoff, a defensive midfielder who possessed good technical skill to link-up with attackers and create chances, is now far removed from the Gunners.

Aged 34, he is currently playing in the fifth tier of French football with SR Colmar, the club from the village where he was born and who he delightedly joined at the start of this season, posting on Instagram that, "after 22 years and over 300 professional games, I’m back in my hometown where everything started".

Of mixed heritage, he actually won a single Under-21s cap for Portugal - in which he scored the opener in a 3-1 victory over Switzerland - but spent most of his playing days in Germany.

Bischoff joined Werder Bremen at 18 and began his senior career there, impressing for the reserves and getting on the fringes of the first team, before a torn groin muscle saw him miss virtually the entire 2007-08 campaign, as he required two separate operations.

This pushed him out of the senior picture, and he turned down a new contract to become a free agent.

It was therefore a surprise on July 1, 2008, when it was announced he was moving to Arsenal.

Wenger had reportedly tracked Bischoff for six months, and saw him as a potential midfield lynchpin for the future, a replacement for the departed Mathieu Flamini.

They had met twice in Paris to discuss a potential deal, with the midfielder eventually joining on a free transfer once his contract with Werder had expired.

Bischoff did his best to make things work at Arsenal, telling GOAL in 2019: "I was staying at the training ground Monday to Friday, and then for the weekend I would go back to France, which was good for my head.

“During the week I was working with the personal trainer. It was very difficult, but players like [Emmanuel] Adebayor, [Gael] Clichy and [Bacary] Sagna were very good to me.

“I still felt like part of the squad. [William] Gallas, [Kolo] Toure, [Robin] Van Persie, they were all amazing guys. They talked with me like I was a normal player, it didn’t matter if I was injured."

Things did not work out for the youngster, however, and he only made one Premier League appearance - coming on as a 64th minute substitute in a 3-0 victory over Portsmouth - along with three outings off the bench in cup games.

In total, he played 75 minutes of football for the Gunners, and was released in the summer of 2009.

Getty/GOAL

"Wenger could not guarantee me playing time next season. So we decided together that it was best that I did not extend," Bischoff told L'Equipe following his departure from the club.

Subsequently, Bischoff played in Portugal and the German lower leagues, before his return home to France.

And despite his underwhelming stint in north London, there are no hard feelings about his Arsenal days.

He posted on Instagram after Wenger left Arsenal in 2018: "Thanks to Arsene Wenger who had faith in me when I was down and injured, he believed in me and I would have not be able to be where I am today without him."

Bischoff remains an Arsenal fan, as he told GOAL in 2017: “I follow every game. I’m interested in football in general, and I follow every league. But of course, Arsenal is a bit more important for me.

“When I came to Arsenal I was injured and it took me two months to be back on pitch. But the rehab there was great, they did everything for me. I didn't have any pressure and it was arranged with Arsene Wenger this way."

As the end of his playing days approach, Bischoff may be better known at Preussen Munster or Hansa Rostock than he is at Arsenal, but for fans of "left-field signings", he will always have legendary status.