Serge Gnabry reflects on Arsenal exit, admits they were desperate to keep him

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Gnabry is one of the hottest prospects in European football right now and Arsenal will be kicking themselves for failing to hang on to him.

Serge Gnabry has admitted that Arsenal were determined to keep him at the Emirates but he refused their advances because he felt it could damage his development, The Daily Mail reports.

The talented winger made just 10 Premier League appearences for Arsenal and endured a forgettable loan spell at West Brom as he struggled to make his mark in English football.

However, after starring for Germany at the Olympic Games this summer, he has exploded on the European scene – albeit away from North London.

Picture Supplied by Action Images – Serge Gnabry

Gnabry departed Arsenal to return to his homeland with Werder Bremen and has since developed into one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting young attackers in a few short months, thumping home a stunning volley against Borussia Monchengladbach and eventually earning a place in Joachim Low’s senior Germany squad.

If Arsenal fans were concerned about his exit, they would have been categorically dismayed after their former prospect completed the first debut hat-trick for Die Mannschaft in 40 years in the 8-0 thrashing of San Marino.

And, although Bremen are currently mired in a relegation battle in the German top flight, Gnabry’s rapid development means he does not regret his decision to depart the Premier League title challengers.

“It was the right decision,” the 21-year-old told Kicker in quotes reported by The Daily Mail. “Everybody who compares my development over the last four months to my time in England before that can’t come to a different conclusion.

“That was the main reason for the transfer – I wanted to get more playing time and it worked. Arsenal wanted to keep me, badly. But I had to look after my development.

“If a player does not perform well, a club has no sympathy and they do not want to keep him.”

Thankfully for Arsenal, the electric form of Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil have so far managed to limit the hand-wringing that surrounded Gnabry’s exit.