From Villian To Hero: How Higuain and Ozil Defined Wenger's Transfer Business

As he prepared to take on Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday, Arsene Wenger put a brave face on for the press as the questions over his transfer policy continued.

Accusing the fans of being obsessed with consumerism over their obsession with big-name signings, Gunners supporters would no doubt have been feeling particularly low as Arsenal prepared to face a reinvigorated Tottenham side without having spent any money of their own in the summer.

It was a stark contrast to the feelings surrounding the club at the beginning of the transfer window, as chief executive Ivan Gazidis promised money would be available in abundance for the first time in years as the club's stadium becomes less of a financial burden. Fans were feeling more buoyant than usual ahead of the summer.

Despite qualifying for the Champions League at the expense of Tottenham by a single point, a failure to land a major trophy for an eighth consecutive season condemned the campaign to another failure.

But with big names linked with the club, that was all about to change and for the first time there was optimism that high-profile targets would be realised for the frugal Wenger.

One name in particular was Gonzalo Higuain - Real Madrid's successful but often marginalised striker - and the Argentine was reportedly within a pen and paper of signing for the club for €30m. The amount would have broken their previously held transfer record of €18m on Andrey Arshavin and secured a player who could offer much needed back-up and competition for Olivier Giroud.

But the deal fell through, with some claiming that it was over Wenger's favouring of Luis Suarez, a striker with much more baggage and a much higher fee attached, while others reported the manager just didn't believe that Higuain was worth the substantial asking price of €42m.

As the 25 year old joined Napoli Arsenal fans fell into a transfer-related depression that appeared terminal with Wenger's refusal to pay over the odds while he watched his squad become further saturated.

Come the start of the season and a 3-1 loss to Aston Villa was all the ammunition the supporters needed to vent their frustrations.

With no striker signed - the acquisition of Suarez proved fruitless when Liverpool insisted they would only sell the Uruguayan for a sum which even the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City might baulk at - another low point for Arsenal followers.

The excuses - 'the market isn't moving', 'the players are too expensive', 'most of the business is done at the end of the window' - were all wearing seriously thin. Supporters groups pushed for contract talks with Wenger to be halted and the questions began to be asked: is the prudent Frenchman past his peak as manager of Arsenal Football Club?

But in the final week of the window, a midfielder by the name of Mesut Ozil, after insisting he couldn't dare to leave Real Madrid until the end of his contract in 2016, was charmed by the manager some fans had previously wanted to pillage.

On the back of an unexpected 1-0 win over a Tottenham side who spent more than any other Premier League rival, Arsenal approved the purchase and tripled their transfer record to land the Germany international many consider to be one of the world's top midfielders.

Whether Ozil will become the saviour Arsenal need to challenge for major silverware, remains to be seen but Wenger has given fans a much-needed boost ahead of the remainder of the season. From villain to hero; Wenger has given his Arsenal future and their season a much-needed lifeline.