“He’s scored 103 goals and provided 60 assists since leaving Arsenal; Arsenal made a huge mistake by letting him leave for just £8M”- Arsenal’s owner revealed his rage over Arsenal’s £8M sale of a ‘electric forward’ who has outperformed Bukayo Saka since leaving the club.
Arsenal’s £8 million transfer has outperformed Saka since his departure. Arsenal will always regret allowing this fantastic talent to leave the Emirates Stadium as a kid.
Throughout the years, Arsenal has taken great pleasure in their Hale End academy.
Of course, it was a popular hunting site for Arsene Wenger throughout his successful tenure in the capital. Consider Tony Adams, who had already graduated when the Frenchman arrived, as well as Jack Wilshere and Hector Bellerin.
To be honest, no one expected such a reliance on it once Wenger left the Emirates. Unai Emery was the man who gave Bukayo Saka his first-team debut, but it is under Mikel Arteta that England’s Player of the Year for the past two seasons has become the club’s poster boy.
Eddie Nketiah now wears Thierry Henry’s legendary number 14, Emile Smith Rowe wears the number 10, and a certain Folarin Balogun was even sold for £35 million. It’s safe to argue that Hale End has never had more talent than in the previous five years or so.
Saka has how many goals for Arsenal?
The 22-year-old scored his first goal for the Gunners in typical form. It doesn’t take two guesses to figure out how.
Saka got the ball on the right side and drove infield before curling the ball past the goalie from the edge of the box while playing in the Europa League under Emery’s rule.
It’s a finish that has become synonymous with the youthful winger. Consider his fizzing drive against Nottingham Forest on the opening weekend of the current season, or his delicious curling effort from range against Manchester United last season.
It has an Arjen Robben vibe to it, however Saka is now attempting to outdo the great Dutchman’s legacy in the game.
Since that moment as an 18-year-old versus Eintracht Frankfurt, England’s star has only grown stronger.
He was chosen to the PFA Team of the Season for 2022/23, won the PFA Young Player of the Season, and is currently a Ballon d’Or nominee after scoring 43 goals and assisting 45 others in 189 first-team appearances. The consistency with which he both produces for his teammates and finds the back of the net is remarkable.
However, he is not the first winger from Arsenal’s youth system to put up such numbers. Serge Gnabry, please take your place.
What did Serge Gnabry accomplish while at Arsenal?
The German made his senior debut for the Gunners 11 years ago, in September 2012, against Coventry City in the League Cup. Less than a month later, he made his Premier League debut, becoming the second youngest Arsenal player to do so since Jack Wilshere at the age of 17.
Gnabry may not have struck the net on each day, but his career since moving to London for under £100k has been fantastic.
He had to wait a year for his first goal in Arsenal colors, which came against Swansea City in a 2-1 triumph. It was a watershed event that set the tone for the rest of his football career.
Despite never getting many regular starts, the forward dazzled with his lively performances, despite leaving the club with only one goal and two assists.
Why did Gnabry leave Arsenal?
In 2016, the Germany international left for Werder Bremen in an £8 million transfer, citing a lack of opportunity.
In an interview following his departure, he stated, “I was still confident I could’ve made the team, but I didn’t want to wait.” I didn’t want to be the fourth or fifth option anymore.
Leaving a club like Arsenal – the fans, the players – was the most difficult decision I had to make in football, but in order to continue playing, I had to take a step back, and it was the right option.”
Where is Serge Gnabry now?
The 28-year-old’s career has been exceptional since leaving north London. The winger, who has now been capped 43 times by Germany, has dominated the Bundesliga and continental football.
He only appeared in 27 games for Werder Bremen but scored 11 goals and assisted on two others before joining Bayern Munich.
He had a good loan spell at Hoffenheim, where he scored ten goals and helped seven others in 26 appearances before returning to Munich with a point to prove.
Gnabry has been nothing short of spectacular since joining the Bayern Munich squad on a regular basis. He once scored four goals against Tottenham in a thrilling 7-2 Champions League victory for the Bundesliga team, a night no doubt enjoyed by Arsenal fans.
These are only four of the dynamic flanker’s 15 Champions League goals, while he has also scored an incredible 60 Bundesliga goals for his present club.
How does Saka stack up against Gnabry?
It would be impolite to compare his circumstances to Saka’s, but we’ll do it anyhow.
Of course, Saka’s breakout came later, and it would not be surprising if he went on to dethrone Gnabry, but even last season, the latter surpassed Arsenal’s current world-beater.
Indeed, in 2022/23, the England wide winger scored 15 goals and assisted 11 times in 48 games. In 47 appearances, Gnabry had 17 goals and 12 assists.
Arsenal may have deep regrets about allowing the German talent to leave during Wenger’s final years in charge. After all, he has scored 103 goals since, but Saka’s rise on the scene has undoubtedly helped them watch from afar knowing it wasn’t a total disaster to cash in.
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