The active players Arsenal may have been wrong to let go
Arsenal have borne witness to some of world football’s finest talent over the years, but the elite level is a harsh terrain — some flourish while others falter.
And few clubs have embodied this sink-or-swim environment more than those at the top of the food chain, but Arsenal have often been a bastion of development amidst the avaricious nature of modern football, with former boss Arsene Wenger not averse to cultivating young talent.
That said, some have not made the grade in north London despite their discernible talent, while others (not necessarily youth) have failed to make the required impact to cement a consistent starting berth.
However, that has not stopped them strutting their stuff elsewhere and thriving on the big stage. After leaving the Emirates, for example, Emiliano Martinez has gone on to shine at Aston Villa and muscle his way into the Argentina national team, winning the World Cup in December.
So, who else might Arsenal regret having let go? Here are eight players shining away from north London.
And just to be clear, we’re not suggesting that all of these players would walk into Arsenal’s current team. Some might, but in the ensuing years since they have left, they may have played a key part in Arsenal’s development at some stage.
1. Serge Gnabry
Sold to: Werder Bremen
Fee: £5m
Current club: Bayern Munich
Signed from Stuttgart in 2011, Gnabry burst onto the scene and immediately excited the Arsenal faithful with his combination of lightning-quick pace and twinkle-toed feet, becoming Arsenal’s second-youngest player to make his league debut after Jack Wilshere.
His rapid development saw him nominated for the 2013 Golden Boy Award, but a serious knee injury hampered his progress, and after a failed loan move to West Brom upon his return, he was sold to Werder Bremen, where he made an instant impact before joining German giants Bayern Munich.
Since relocating to Bavaria, Gnabry has gone from strength to strength, and he returned to north London in 2019 to remind Arsenal fans exactly what they’re missing out on. The 27-year-old netted four goals in a 7-2 win over Tottenham en route to an historic Champions League triumph in August that year.
2. Wojciech Szczesny
Sold to: Juventus
Fee: £10m
Current club: Juventus
Arsenal have a shrewd policy of recruiting young overseas talent, and Szczesny was tipped to become Arsenal’s undisputed No.1 for decades when he joined from Legia Warsaw in 2006.
The 33-year-old proved a safe pair of hands for the Gunners after being promoted to the first-team but after a few sporadic injuries, some costly errors in big games, and the eventual arrival of Petr Cech, the Pole departed for Italian football – first on a two-year loan move to Roma, before signing permanently for Juventus.
Not even his successful two-year spell in the Eternal City could save Szczesny’s Arsenal career, and having initially joined the Old Lady as an understudy to Gianluigi Buffon, he has since forged a great career for himself in Turin.
3. Lukasz Fabianski
Sold to: Swansea City
Fee: Free transfer
Current club: West Ham
Dubbed ‘Flappyhandski’ by some sectors of the Arsenal fanbase, the 38-year-old has obliterated that moniker in recent seasons with his exceptional form between the sticks for both Swansea and, now, West Ham.
Another to hail from the Legia Warsaw academy, Fabianski never truly staked a claim in the starting XI during his seven-year tenure at Arsenal, but since leaving, he has excelled, winning West Ham’s ‘Hammer of the Year’ award in 2018/19.
4. Carlos Vela
Sold to: Real Sociedad
Fee: £3m
Current club: Los Angeles FC
The name ‘Vela’ should be whispered softly in north London as the Mexican often evokes memories of what might have been, such was his talent and potential when he joined the club as a prodigiously talented tyro in 2005.
He failed to fulfil his potential in the capital but he has since thrived with Real Sociedad in La Liga, and now in Major League Soccer, but he was close to joining Barcelona in January 2019, so clearly his undoubted talent is still recognised globally.
The Mexican is now one of the stars across the Atlantic having notched 85 goals in just 149 appearance for Los Angeles FC, while he also delivered Supporters’ Shield success in 2019 and 2022, as well as the MLS Cup last year.
5. Santi Cazorla
Sold to: Villarreal
Fee: Free transfer
Current club: Al Sadd
After a lengthy injury, not many were expecting an ageing Cazorla to return to his best, but that is exactly what the diminutive playmaker has done, proving as lethal as ever with his eloquent movement and instinctive passing, first in the province of Castellon, and now in Qatar.
He managed a quite ridiculous 14 direct contributions during his return to La Liga in 2018/19 and followed that up with 20 last season (11 goals, nine assists). He is now doing the business in Doha at 38, but make no mistake, his synthesis of experience and mesmeric footwork would have provided invaluable depth for Arsenal over the past few years.
6. Donyell Malen
Sold to: PSV Eindhoven
Fee: Undisclosed
Current club: Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal thought they’d snagged themselves a wonderkid when they brought Donyell Malen from Ajax at just 16 years old but now, eight years later, he recently scored two of the goals that put Borussia Dortmund ahead of Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga title race. Having been sold to PSV in 2017, the Netherlands international scored goals for fun in his homeland, and is now trying to show similar form in Germany as BVB chase a Bundesliga title over fierce rivals Bayern.
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7. Ismael Bennacer
Sold to: Empoli
Fee: £900k
Current club: AC Milan
Like so many before him, Ismael Bennacer is another youngster whose only chance in the Arsenal first team came during League Cup action, playing just once.
He was sold to Empoli for just £900k in 2017 and helped the club earn promotion to Serie A in his first season. They were relegated at the first attempt but it certainly wasn’t for the lack of trying on Bennacer’s part, with the Algeria international shining despite his side’s faltering form.
He has since earned a move to AC Milan, where his exploits have helped the club reclaim the Scudetto and reach this season’s Champions League semi-final, with the former Arsenal man scoring the only goal in the club’s first-leg quarter-final win over Napoli.
8. Yunus Musah
Sold to: Valencia
Fee: Undisclosed
Current club: Valencia
At just 18, the New York-born midfielder was entrusted with regular first-team responsibilities for Valencia in 2020/21, and he went on to establish himself as one of the most promising teenagers on the continent. Still only 20, the now 25-capped United States international remains a key player for Los Che, with his versatility and midfield enterprise invaluable for the club’s hopes of staying in La Liga. With such potential, you can’t help but wonder what heights Musah could reach under a coach of Mikel Arteta’s tactical malleability.
