When Laurent Koscielny arrived from Lorient in 2010 as a relative unknown, few could have predicted just how important a signing it would be.
But fast-forward to 2017 and the France international is the stand-in captain in Per Mertesacker's absence, and widely-recognised as one of Europe's premier defenders.
That view is shared by Arsene Wenger, who lavished praise on Koscielny after he signed a new long-term contract.
"I believe that he is one of the main players in the squad," the boss told Arsenal Player. "He's the leader at the back, especially with Per out.
"He has the biggest experience now and is really a strong player of the French national team.
"He's certainly one of the best defenders in the world today, so I'm very pleased he's committed for the long term here."
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