5 players who left Arsenal to find success

#4 Gael Clichy

Gael Clichy's biggest successes came not at Arsenal but with Manchester City

Like Cesc Fabregas, left-back Gael Clichy joined Arsenal in the summer of 2003. But despite being just 18 at the time, the Frenchman was able to break into the Gunners’ first team right away - not as an outright starter, but largely as a backup to first choice left-back Ashley Cole.

When Cole picked up an injury in December, Clichy was able to play enough league games to win a medal as Arsenal won the 2003-04 Premier League, becoming the youngest player to do so in the process.

Unfortunately for Clichy, that would be his only success at the club. Despite taking over as Arsenal’s first-choice left back following the departure of Cole in the summer of 2006 – and having his best season in 2007-08, registering 6 assists and appearing in all 38 league games – he was unable to get his hands on another trophy during his time with the Gunners.

In the summer of 2011 the Frenchman made the same move that his former teammates Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure had done by signing with Manchester City for a fee of somewhere around £7m. And after making 28 appearances at the Etihad, Clichy quickly found the success he’d been unable to find at Arsenal, winning his second Premier League title as the Citizens’ first-choice left-back.

Clichy ended up spending six seasons in Manchester, and won a further Premier League title as well as two EFL Cups - essentially more than doubling the trophy haul that he’d been able to pick up at Arsenal.