5 Star Players Arsenal Wish They Had Not Sold

There was a time when Arsenal seemed to lose a major star every summer.

These days, the club are on a more secure financial footing. Having paid off a significant chunk of the debt incurred by moving to the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners are less vulnerable to approaches for their biggest names.

Sometimes, selling a star makes sense. In the case of both Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, the prized assets appeared past their best and there were potential replacements ready to step up.

However, there are still lingering regrets over the departure of several key players. In this piece, we identify five players Arsenal fans wish had stayed with the club.

Gilberto Silva

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When Arsenal let Gilberto Silva leave the club in 2008, they lost one of their most experienced players and a specialist defensive midfielder. Allowing him to leave the club within six months of Mathieu Flamini and Lassana Diarra's departures left the Gunners without a recognised holding player.

Gilberto was one of the leaders of the squad, and they greatly missed his influence and intelligence over the coming years.

Ashley Cole

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Ashley Cole won't be a popular choice among Arsenal fans, having burned his bridges by moving to Chelsea.

However, the reality is that his move to Stamford Bridge was symbolic of a transition of power in London. Cole was a product of the Arsenal academy who ought to have gone on to become a Gunners stalwart. Instead, he ended up winning the Champions League in blue.

Cesc Fabregas

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Much like Ashley Cole, it feels as if Cesc Fabregas ought to be playing for Arsenal instead of Chelsea.

His return to Barcelona felt inevitable, but the Gunners must occasionally wonder if they sanctioned the deal too soon. If they could have kept hold of Fabregas for a few more years, he would surely have helped accelerate their recovery and pushed them back toward contention for major honours

Robin van Persie

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Given the decline in Robin van Persie's form this season, you could argue that Arsenal made the right call to sell the Dutchman when they did.

However, allowing him to join Manchester United in August 2012 effectively handed them the title that season. Arsene Wenger must still harbour regrets about letting his best striker join a club that were once considered his greatest rival.

Robert Pires

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What Arsenal must regret about the loss of Robert Pires is the nature of his departure. Back in 2006, he found himself withdrawn during the Champions League final when Jens Lehmann was sent off early on. It deprived him of the goodbye a player of his stature deserved.

Fortunately, any rift between Pires and Arsene Wenger has long since healed. He now trains regularly with the squad and attends almost every home game with his friend Thierry Henry. Nevertheless, it would have been great to see him leave Arsenal in a manner befitting a club legend.