Eddie Nketiah and Matt Turner became the latest ex-Gunners, on Saturday, to add silverware to their CVs. How Eddie Nketiah can one day show his children two FA Cup medals with a straight face is hard to believe.
With the Champions League and Conference League finals in the next couple of weeks, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Héctor Bellerín could add European honours to their resumes. Mkhitaryan, in particular, is chasing a unique UEFA treble.
Arteta’s inherited squad finding success elsewhere
It is often debated among Gooners just how strong the squad was that Mikel Arteta inherited when he first became a manager. Partly due to the pandemic, it became club policy to drastically reduce the wage bill. Players who did not align with club principles were either sidelined or moved on. The Kroenke family should perhaps have ensured that any incoming manager would be expected to make the most of the squad he inherited.
It became common for Arsenal to either pay talent to cancel their contracts or send them on loan while allowing their deals to expire. When considering that many on this list were deemed not good enough for North London, it is a credit to them that they have gone on to lift trophies elsewhere.
(This is not criticism, more a bit of fun.)
Ex-Gunners’ post-Arsenal success stories
Arthur Okonkwo (GK) – released
Despite joining the club aged eight, Okonkwo never made a senior appearance. Three of his loan spells were particularly successful, including lifting the cup in Austria and earning promotion to League One with Wrexham. Featured on Welcome to Wrexham, the 23-year-old was persuaded by the financial backing of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to drop down the football pyramid. After another promotion, he will be playing in the Championship next season.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles (LB) – released
It is worth wondering if the 27-year-old regrets not embracing the role of makeshift full-back, a pathway Mikel Arteta offered that even led to international recognition. Insistent on being a midfielder, he never came close to fulfilling that ambition during three loan spells. Still, he made three appearances in the UEFA Conference League during Roma’s successful campaign.
Sead Kolašinac (CB) – released
To give an idea of how unwanted he was at the Emirates, Arsenal first loaned him back to Schalke, covering most of his salary. A free transfer to the German side fell through after their relegation. Despite returning to matchday squads, he later agreed to be released six months early. Having also left Marseille as a free agent, lifting the Europa League with Atalanta was a fairytale ending. Part of a back three, including at Anfield, he rediscovered form in Italy. Atalanta were the only side to beat Bayer Leverkusen last season.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos (CB) – released
Alongside Mesut Özil, the defender was paid to sit at home in his final season. Not being registered for the Europa League group stages was a clear move to push him out. Eventually, he returned to Greece and lifted two domestic titles.
David Luiz (CB) – released
Having already won every major domestic trophy in England, Luiz returned to Brazil as planned in 2021. He has since added two Copa do Brasil titles and became only the twelfth player to win both the Champions League and Copa Libertadores.
Héctor Bellerín (RB) – released
Recurring knee injuries took away his greatest asset—his pace. A loan to Real Betis saw him prove his fitness and win the Copa del Rey with his boyhood club. Arsenal terminated his contract a year early after over a decade and three FA Cups. A short-term deal at Barcelona saw him earn a La Liga medal with just three appearances. Now back at Betis, he will face Chelsea on 28 May.
Lucas Torreira (CM) – sold for £5.5 million
Reportedly homesick and struggling with the physicality of the Premier League, Torreira was moved into a more advanced role under Unai Emery. The pandemic limited Mikel Arteta’s ability to manage him directly. At one point, his father publicly pleaded with Arsenal to allow his son to return to South America following the death of his mother. Although subsequent moves to Italy, Spain, and Turkey hardly brought him closer to home, they did reflect Arsenal’s wage reduction strategy. After loans to Atlético Madrid and Fiorentina, Galatasaray reportedly paid just £5 million, although some sources claim his contract was simply ended. He has now won three consecutive Turkish league titles.
Granit Xhaka (CM) – £25 million
If this were a film, Xhaka would have the last laugh over those who abused him and his family while he was club captain. One of Arteta’s first actions as manager was to convince him to stay, following Unai Emery’s refusal to play him unless he apologised for removing the armband. Xhaka never apologised and instead highlighted the daily abuse he and his family endured. By the time he left for Germany, many supporters wished he had stayed. Arsenal have arguably not replaced him. While his former team narrowly missed the Premier League title, he completed an unbeaten domestic double with Bayer Leverkusen.
Joe Willock (CM) – £25 million
A standout loan spell at Newcastle saw him score in seven consecutive games, prompting the Magpies to spend £25 million. Though he has never fully replicated that form, it remains a deal that worked for all parties. He came off the bench in the League Cup final to help end a 70-year wait for domestic silverware.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (CF) – released
A decision that continues to divide fans, Aubameyang was allowed to join Barcelona for free after Arsenal refused to match his wage demands. While he scored 13 goals in Spain, Arsenal missed out on Champions League qualification due to a lack of firepower. By La Liga rules, one appearance qualifies a player for a league medal, making this his first title in Spain.
Eddie Nketiah (CF) – £30 million
One Premier League goal for £30 million suggests Arsenal got the better of that deal. It was a big fee for a club like Crystal Palace to spend on a bench player, and they may regret it. Still, Nketiah is now part of their history. He scored in the quarter-finals and can rightly say he contributed to the club’s only major trophy.
Thoughts fellow Gooners?
Dan Smith
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As ex-Gooners, i wish all those players nothing but the very best in their current and future endeavors, however in my humble opinion, All those players leaving were good for us. Perhaps only one player (Xhaka), is currently good enough to be a squad player for us.
The other players all played their parts in our clubs illustrious history, and will always be remembered for their time at Arsenal; however they were all moved on for good reason.
Just cos they’re winning silverware now, it doesnt necessarily mean that that we shouldn’t have let them go when we did.
The team (and club in general) when Arteta took over, was far inferior to the one we have today and personally, i’m happy that each of those aforementioned players (with the exception of Xhaka), have/were moved on.
Ainsley Maitland Niles would have been very useful to the team and us very versatile. We wouldn’t have wasted money on Tomiyasu, Tavares etc. Arteta has been eager to release players he found at the club.
The gaffer is coming under increasing pressure to win silverware, fans suggesting he has a limited time frame to deliver a trophy, particularly after a disappointing campaign.
There is no doubt Arsenal has made significant progress under the under pressure gaffer, including a bold run in the champions league qualifications, but the lack of a trophy for five consecutive seasons has raised questions about his ability to lead the club to the next level, younger folks like my sons included, they want that big jug now.
Also former players like Paul Merson, pundits and fans alike believe the gaffer future at Arsenal may depend on his ability to lift a major big jug in the coming seasons.
Am also going to make an effort to see the name of the writer of this article in order to widen the growing list.
After emerging as the Citizens chief challenger in the last two campaigns, Arsenal have failed to take advantage of a slide in fortune for the legendary Pep Guarrdiola champions this season, with the Merseyside club taking over as the top dog in England top flight competition
Time is running out, I said at the start of the season that Arsenal needs a trophy this year, and it didn’t happen
Well the club and Arteta were making decisions emotionally.
Remember some of those players were his team mates, but he grew some inches on his shoulders now, as a manager he must enforce and stamp his authority.
Maybe he didn’t want to be “a Byan C at Leeds” . Ironically, those guys showed him before they were dispersed that they knew one or two things about winning, gifted him FA Cup, aside Charity Shield, his only Managerial medal 🏅 since 5 years ago.
Dan Smith, you left out Emi Martinez, a World Cup winner !
Yeah I thought of him and Pepe who won AFCON but I thought I stick with just club football
And Mavropanos not winning anything at West Ham
Because he didn’t
Maybe scoring against us counts as a win
Good try
Pretty sure an article like this has been put on JA before. So, can only think that this is another manipulative article to stir up the negative energy of certain fans. What are we supposed to learn from the fact that a player can leave Arsenal and pick up a medal in Greece or Turkey?
The only one of those players playing at a high level when he left was Xhaka and he wanted to leave. The way Xhaka was transformed into one of the better creative 8s was fascinating. Yet many have been silent on this. Unsurprising, as this would lead to different kinds of narrative.
David
Dan did write at the top of his article that it was a bit of fun
I found Shaka’s story the most compelling. From zero to hero and his move away bringing a league title at Bayern Leverkusen. He deserved that after the awful treatment his family endured
Think your reading too much into mate
I just like write lists
Was by no means an attack at the club
I often keep readers up to date how ex players are getting on
The other week I said about Ramsey and Wilshere
Arsenal got a better of the deal but Nketiah had a better season than Arsenal.
Either one of Man U or Tottenham would have a better season than Arsenal with their coach being better than Arteta for going trophyless . . .
– according to some.
Just by the way:
I would pick Nketiah over Jesus if I needed someone to call a striker.
Striker.
I would say more successful not better
Arteta should be given next season to deliver especially as the transfer war chest for this summer seems to be a big one, by most reported accounts and even Arteta himself.
If a new sporting director with better ideas than that dim witted Edu Gasper cannot get the squad to the top, then serious changes would need to be made
That will give a much clearer picture of where we are heading.
There has been a lot of speculation about Edu’s departure and nothing concrete as far as I’m aware. Berta came with a good reputation so let’s see what he brings to the table.
Arteta has been supported financially and confidence shown in what he’s done so far by the Board. I wouldn’t write off Arteta after this season. Too many injuries and I think players playing through the pain barrier at times. Next season should be the defining one on his tenure so far. 2nd 3 times shows the club is almost there.
We need to be more patient and give our manager time. We just hired a new SD, so please give Berta and Arteta time to do their work.
Stadium expansion incoming, so be patient with Arteta while club manages the debt, just like Wenger era; minus the domestic trophies though.
The project must continue, we are only in Beta testing 5.1.1, he needs time to assemble his squad to play his style of Football.
Rome was not built in a day, not even in 21 years, so please show some patience.
We need the right player for striker and it has only been 5 years, so show some patience.
Wingers, and CAM as a striker, even Merino, he still needs to try a fullback and CB as striker before we committ funds in the transfer window.
Top 4 trophy back in place, new kits, players coming back like new signings, Summer transfers to gas up ticket sales.
Durand just like with the Shoba Reality Show, your sarcasm is coming through loud and clear.😂🤣👍😉👏
Dan, have you ever done an article on all the players that left the club under our previous manager and went on to win their first trophies at there new clubs ?
Asking for a friend…
Which previous manager mate
Emery ?
Wenger ?
Emery wasn’t our manager, he was our head coach.
Well let me know mate
Always up for ideas
Especially in pre season
Surely you know which one out of the two names you mentioned was the previous manager.
Yeah I can do that mate
I need content for the summer
I love a list
I’ll do an 11
Only an 11 ?
Yeah I normally like to see if I can make a team out of it to test my memory
Can do a list though if you want ?
Pretty sure there’s enough to fill up the substitute bench…
I’m on it lol
Dan,
Can I point out that Wenger has 22 years worth of players to compare to Arteta’s 5 years worth. Hardly comparable is it.
Derek, your post is absolutely first class and I agree with you 100%
What is the world coming too? 😁👍😁👍😁👍
Mind you, how many of the players he “inherited” went on to better things?
Also the majority won things and were then sold on for a profit not given away
What could he do when Niles insisted on playing in midfield where he was not good enough and refused to play at the back where Arsenal was lacking then?
Oh I agree mate
Big mistake by Maitland Niles
Looking forward to your article Dan – I’m certain a few skeletons will appear out of the cupboard.
Time to get the Official Handbooks out!! 😁😁
Nah I got a decent memory
We do it on holiday or in the car like Dan name your best European 11 , etc
I like writing lists like that
At a point, the saying goes : if you want to win trophy, leave Arsenal. If this is true as we can see then, something serious is wrong with the club