Bacary Sagna has sided with Arsenal after the Gunners allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to leave the club in the January transfer window.
The Gabon striker had a troubled last few weeks at the Emirates and he was ultimately banished from the first team set up after breaking club rules.
This meant he risked being sidelined for the rest of this season. He then pursued a move to Barcelona and joined the Catalans on transfer deadline day.
Auba’s departure left Arsenal desperately short of attacking options and they could be in a crisis if Alexandre Lacazette gets injured.
However, Sagna believes Arteta needed to send a powerful message to the other members of the squad that the team is bigger than its players.
He said via Metro Sports: ‘Well of course that isn’t an ideal situation. If Lacazette gets injured they could be in trouble.
‘But they took the decision to sell Aubameyang, which I thought was a strong decision, it was a strong statement from the club, no one is irreplaceable. The team and Arsenal had to come first.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
Considering how many times Auba had been on the wrong side of the club rules, Arteta risked losing the dressing room if he didn’t act strongly.
Over time, the Spaniard has proven he knows what he is doing, and that is one reason his team is making progress.
He has to change the culture of complacency that the likes of Auba and Mesut Ozil had enjoyed at the club and he is doing just fine in that regard.