For a club with great history, there have often been times when Arsenal has had to let go of some of their players. Sometimes the moves are forced other times extenuating circumstances such as the preference for more playing time, an offer from a club in your native city etc. are some of the other reasons why players move so abruptly.
At other times, it is just the club’s desire to move on the player or if they believe the player has reached the end of their development pattern at the club. Given the explosion of money into English football, clubs have started keeping bigger squads and at times it is difficult to provide everyone with playing time.
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Arsenal like their other fellow clubs has also been culpable at times. Arsene Wenger once said, “We do not buy superstars. We make them.”. Over the years, there have been times when players have gone on to become better players after they left the club.
In this post, the author will look at some of the Arsenal discards who have been fulfilling their potential away from the glaring lights at the Emirates.
#1 Serge Gnabry – Werder Bremen – Moved from Arsenal in 2016
It is hard to say whether it was a matter of rejection or the self-belief of the player to make it big somewhere else. Serge Gnabry surely has benefitted from his time away from the London club, making an immediate impact with his new club, Werder Bremen. The youngster made the bold choice to reject a new deal with the Gunners before joining Bremen in search of more regular first-team football this summer.
At the time of signing the youngster in 2012, Arsene Wenger had stated, “Serge Gnabry is a great hope for the future. I rate him highly. If he continues his development, I think he could play in the first team this season. At the moment, he needs to work and ensure he remains fit.”
However, injuries over the past two years prevented the progress that the club had anticipated and in the August of 2016. Gnabry moved back to Germany.
Halfway through the season, the German winger is enjoying the faith of his new bosses as illustrated by the number of appearances in the Bundesliga. The German international has already scored 7 goals in 15 appearances.
The youngster has become a first team favourite and has already been involved in 35% of the goals scored in the league by his new club. His stupendous early season form also earned him an international call-up against San Marino in a World Cup 2018 qualifier. And the 21-year-old ensured his name is revered in the history books after he scored a hat-trick on his international debut.
Given the abundance of wingers, Wenger may have been right to let the youngster leave, however, given that Arsenal received only a paltry sum of £5 million, it is sure to raise questions among the Gunner’s hierarchy on whether a larger fee could have been demanded.
#2 Wojciech Szczesny – AS Roma (on loan from Arsenal) since July 2015
The Polish keeper had a horrible time towards the end of the 2014-15 season when he was repeatedly scrutinised for his mistakes. After some insipid performances in the Premier League and professional misconducts such as smoking in the showers, both parties decided that a change of scenery was indeed needed for the keeper who has spent almost a decade with the Gunners.
And things have worked out wonderfully well for the keeper who is still on loan to the Italian club. Having suffered an initial setback of an injury in the opening weeks of the Serie A, the Polish international has made a strong return to the starting line-up and since then, has been omnipresent in the team.
The keeper has put in improved performances this season and has already clocked up 6 clean sheets in 15 league appearances this season. A commendable stat given that he managed 8 clean sheets across the entire season, last year. And the keeper has been enjoying his time in Rome and the faith of his current boss, Luciano Spalletti.
The 26-year-old still harbours a return to the London club but is aware of the fact that how difficult it will be to displace Petr Cech. When questioned about a return to the London club, the keeper who has had a taste of regular first-team football replied, “I learnt more in four months under Spalletti than in 10 years in England. He puts a lot of importance on details and wants the goalkeeper to be able to play the ball with his feet.”
Based on the above statement, one doubts whether the Polish keeper would really pursue the return to London. However, Arsenal still has the keeper on their books and it will be interesting to see how the deal pans out once Szczesny completes his current stint.
#3 Carlos Vela – moved to Real Sociedad in the summer of 2012
4 years on Carlos Vela still brings a nostalgic memory to some of the Arsenal fans. A quick-footed winger who caught the eye of Arsene Wenger in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championships. Such was the performance of the youngster in that tournament that a host of clubs lined up to avail his services at the time.
And the youngster chose to sign with Arsenal, given the club's track record of developing youngsters. However, Vela never did manage to settle into the London side and as a result was forced to go on loan to various other clubs in order to continue his progress. Issues of work-permit did hinder his appearances in the Premier League as well.
2008 though was the year when the Mexican donned Arsenal colours for the first time in the Premier League and over the course of the season made 29 appearances across all competitions. However, his tally of 6 goals and 3 assists were not good enough to put him in contention for the senior team at the time.
After a couple of another frustrating seasons, Vela finally moved to Real Sociedad where he has been well received by the fans. Since his first game for the club, the Mexican has made a total of 208 appearances for the club across all competitions. In that time period, he has contributed by scoring 66 goals and 39 assists.
This season itself he has already scored 4 and created 4 more in 14 appearances. In fact, his excellent form has resulted in the player being awarded two man-of-the-matches in his past 5 appearances which also has an average rating of 7.67.
#4 Johan Djourou – Hamburger SV – moved from Arsenal in 2014
The ex-Gunner currently plying his trade with Hamburger SV came through the youth ranks at Arsenal and made 86 appearances for the club before being sold permanently. The Swiss defender was at the heart of the defence when Arsenal was hammered 8-2 at Old Trafford and since that game, his stock rapidly slipped at the Emirates.
During his time at the Emirates, he was sometimes unfairly targeted by the fans and there was an instance when the defender was even moved to tears. During his time at Arsenal, he was played out of position more than often and as a result was often the scapegoat for poor defensive performances by the team.
However, this Swiss defender has become a regular fixture in the first team with his current club, Hamburger SV. Djourou has made 15 appearances already for the German club this season and has been one of the better performers in a side which currently lies just above the relegation zone.
#5 Lukasz Fabianski – Swansea City – left on a free transfer
Considered as one for the future, the Polish keeper left on a free transfer after spending 7 years at the club. While he had limited opportunities with Arsenal, making only 31 appearances during his time with the club, his potential was largely left unexplored by Arsenal.
Ever since his move to Swansea, the keeper has become one of the leaders of the Welsh club. While internal problems have led Swansea to look for their third manager this season, the keeper continues to put up a brave face. He was one of the club’s better performers last season and at times this season, it seems he single-handedly is keeping his opponents at bay.
And there has been vocal support for his performances by former Swansea keeper Jimmy Rimmer, who felt that his lack of playing time had hindered his progress. The keeper has been trying his best this season having kept 3 clean sheets from 18 games in the league with a total of 55 saves. Whether his inspired keeping keeps the Swans in the league is another question.
But when it comes to form, the keeper has improved as a player since his Arsenal days. Irrespective of how the season pans out for Swansea, Fabianski is sure to have may suitors for his signature this time around.
