Arsenal have been called home for many of the world’s best, yet sometimes, it takes leaving north London for some players to truly explode in football.
Most Arsenal fans have a handful of names they wish the Gunners had held onto, with numerous players becoming world-class individuals or showcasing skills that the Premier League giants are desperately missing.
Indeed, Arsenal have let go of some real gems in the past few years, and here are just seven players that the north London club will be regretting they sold, with many going on to becoming sensational in their craft.
Nicolas Anelka (1999, Real Madrid)
Still one of Arsenal’s biggest sales despite happening over 20 years ago, Nicolas Anelka’s move to Real Madrid brought in over £22m for the north London side, with Arsene Wenger famously using the funds to build a new training ground.
However, the legendary Arsenal manager has since revealed that selling Anelka was his biggest transfer regret. Although the striker didn’t light up the world in Madrid and went on to have a nomadic career, there’s no denying that the forward could have hit new heights had he stayed in north London.
Carlos Vela (2012, Real Sociedad)
The Chip King of the Emirates, Carlos Vela’s Arsenal career was a mixed one of hopeful promise and disappointing performances, and since leaving the Premier league in 2012, the Mexican international has had one ride of a career.
Joining Real Sociedad, the attacker established himself as one of the top forwards in La Liga before Vela made the left-field move to MLS to join Los Angeles FC as their first-ever Designated Player, where the striker has arguably played his best football in his career.
Serge Gnabry (2016, Werder Bremen)
Oh Arsenal, what were you thinking. Every supporter knew that Serge Gnabry had the potential to be special after breaking into the first team in 2013, but injuries and Wenger’s preference to sign an established attacker meant the German was sold to Werder Bremen in 2016.
As we know, the rest is history. Gnabry, now earning a reported £250,000-a-week, is arguably Bayern’s best wide-attacker and is a key member of the Germany national team, with Arsenal no doubt kicking themselves for letting the forward leave so young into his career.
Wojciech Szczesny (2017, Juventus)
Replacing a player as legendary as Gianluigi Buffon is no mean feat, yet when Juventus opted to sign Wojciech Szczesny to be that man, many Arsenal fans were puzzled about the decision.
However, five years later and almost 175 appearances for Juventus later, the transfer has largely worked out for the Serie A giants and Szczesny, who has remained one of the Biancheri’s most consistent performers despite losing their throne at the top of Italian football.
Donyell Malen (2017, PSV)
When Donyell Malen left Arsenal for PSV in 2017, few fans would have predicted the Netherlands international to flourish as well as he has, and now a star for Borussia Dortmund, the striker has come a long way since playing U-23 football in north London.
Whilst the attacker hasn’t set the world alight in Germany, Malen is set to replace Erling Haaland as Dortmund’s leading man next season, and for Arsenal fans, they are left dreaming what would happen had the club kept hold of the prolific finisher all those years ago.
Emi Martinez (2020, Aston Villa)
Emi Martinez has always been a keeper that was highly rated by Arsenal fans, yet even the biggest of supporters would not have predicted the shot-stopper to become of the best keepers in the Premier League and a key player for Argentina once leaving the Emirates.
A player who is rated highly by Lionel Messi and has been nothing short of a revelation for Villa in the past two seasons, Martinez’s departure was questioned by Arsenal fans heavily before Aaron Ramsdale’s arrival and sensational opening campaign in north London.
Matteo Guendouzi (2021, Olympique Marseille)
A transfer that technically hasn’t happened yet, Matteo Guendouzi is set to join Olympique Marseille from Arsenal on a permanent deal at the end of this season, and based on the past nine months, the Gunners have once again made a huge mistake.
The 22-year-old midfielder has been one of the best players in Ligue 1 this season and has shone for France’s senior team, and with Arsenal looking to sign a midfielder this summer, Guendouzi could have saved the Gunners millions had they kept hold of the Unai Emery signing.
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