Arsenal: 7 Stars Who Left the Club Too Soon Under Arsene Wenger

There is one criticism that can be consistently aimed towards Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. That being, his insistence on letting players go too soon, and ones who may still have offered the club something at the highest level.

Over his 15-year reign at the club, he has overseen a number of stars’ departures to facilitate the development of his younger players.

However, he has often come under criticism for sacrificing the experience and value some of those departing players brought, and could have continued to bring, to the club.

There may be too much of an overriding link to Arsenal’s failure to land a trophy and keep pace with the pack over a 38-game campaign, but these are the seven stars who left the club far too early, who still had a lot to offer.

Gilberto Silva

When Arsene Wenger decided to let Gilberto Silva leave the club following the 2007-'08 campaign, Silva took with him a wealth of experience and a sense of solidity in the midfield that Wenger has struggled to replicate.

It was thought that with Gilberto’s presence in the squad, he would hinder the development of young upstarts Denilson and Abou Diaby, whom Wenger thought would be capable of taking over the reigns of holding-midfielder.

Sadly, Arsenal have yet to find someone who brought the leadership and title-winning know-how of Silva—a former World Cup winner.

His nickname “The Invisible Wall” was evident by the way he protected the back four and kept play simple and tidy for the more creative options in the team.

Even at age 31, when he left the club in 2008, Gilberto still had plenty to offer the youthful Arsenal squad.

A figurehead and a guide in the dressing room, he is someone who may have helped the club develop its younger stars at a much faster rate.

Mathieu Flamini

Another defensive-minded midfielder who left the club in 2008, Mathieu Flamini was snapped up by AC Milan on a free transfer following a string of failed contractual negotiations.

By the summer of 2007, it seemed Flamini was all set for a move to Birmingham City, by which time Wenger thought he would cash in on a player who could not offer the club any more.

The 2007-'08 campaign proved to be Flamini’s breakout year for The Gunners, as he formed an incredibly successful partnership with Cesc Fabregas in the centre of midfield and with their flanking partners in Tomas Rosicky and Alexander Hleb.

It could have been that Flamini did not believe Wenger knew his worth, offering wages which paled in comparison to those coming from Italy.

But with the departures of Gilberto Silva in the same summer and Lassana Diarra the previous January, Wenger must have been convinced Flamini would sign. After all, he and the other midfielders making up the starting quartet seemed to enjoy each others company both on and off the pitch.

Whether it was clear in the eyes of Flamini or not, Wenger certainly felt he had a strong candidate to partner Cesc Fabregas in the long term.

Robert Pires

Robert Pires was said to be distraught after being substituted in the 2006 Champions League final so Manuel Almunia could replace the dismissed Jens Lehmann.

Pires claimed it to be the final straw in his bid to move away from Arsenal and seek new horizons in Spain.

Again, it comes down to Arsene Wenger who simply did not do enough to keep hold of the player who had so much more to offer at the highest level.

Well over the age of 30 by that point, Wenger insisted on a one-year contract for Pires, who wanted the security of two.

It came to a head once Wenger made it known that Belarusian Alex Hleb was the established winger in Pires’ place, and his substitution in the Champions League final became the straw that broke the camel's back.

Pires went on to play a number of years for Villarreal in Spain, and he offered the club value and experience as they met his former club, Arsenal, in the 2009 Champions League quarterfinal.

Alexander Hleb

Alex Hleb has stated, on a number of occasions, his regret at leaving Arsenal for Barcelona in the summer of 2008.

He failed to make an impact at the Catalan side amidst the quality already in the squad, and thus far has been loaned out to a host of German clubs as well as relegated Birmingham City last year.

A player who came into the side from Stuttgart in 2005, he experienced a very hit-and-miss start to his career with fans expecting more from the clearly talented Belarusian.

Like many of the Arsenal squad, his breakout year came in 2007-'08 where he was deployed on the wings and later in a free-role just behind striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

It was there that Wenger felt he got the most out of the player and the rest of the squad.

Hleb had phenomenal ability to retain the ball in congested areas of the pitch and was able to assist in a number of goals that saw the club storm the Premier League, only to be held at the final hurdle.

A player who was coveted by Italian giants Inter Milan, Wenger did hold the cards in the eventual departure of Hleb. Still with a number of years remaining on his contract, the player convinced Wenger to allow him to hold talks with Barcelona and sanction his move away from the club.

It became clear fairly soon that Hleb was a vital piece of Wenger’s 2007-'08 squad.

He was someone who lifted the creative burden off Cesc Fabregas and was experienced enough not to be fazed by the demands of a title challenge.

Wenger broke up that squad too soon, and the departure of Alex Hleb was the one to get the ball rolling.

Edu

The Brazilian had difficulty settling into North London following his arrival in 2001. The death of his sister and a number of passport irregularities meant the player was not able to slot into Arsene Wenger’s assault on the 2002 title straight away.

But Edu managed to play a key role in Arsenal’s title wins in 2002 and 2004, partnering fellow Brazilian Gilberto Silva, as well as Patrick Vieira.

His move away from Arsenal was finalised in 2005 when he joined Valencia on a free transfer.

Certainly a player who could have aided in the development of some of the younger stars at the club, and a more-than-able squad player towards the end of his career, Arsene Wenger simply saw no need for the player once he had his eye set on the future of his midfield.

Samir Nasri

The disappointment surrounding Samir Nasri’s departure from the club stems from the fact that at the age of 24, he has yet to discover his best years.

Nasri was tipped to become the successor to the departing Cesc Fabregas in the centre of midfield and as the creative hub for the team.

In what can only be described as a shambles by the club, Arsene Wenger allowed Nasri’s contract to run down to its final year, forcing the Arsenal boss to cash in once the midfielder had his head turned.

The constant overtures from both Manchester clubs meant Nasri had an escape from the continuous failure in the league with Arsenal and a much higher wage package.

Nasri’s early form last season meant he became a cult-like hero at The Emirates, scoring goals away to rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup and seemingly dragging the team to a number of vital points in the league.

Sadly, it appears Wenger or the board did not see value in Samir Nasri to tie him down early.

And the frustration really comes to the fore when squad players like Emmanuel Eboue and Denilson were prioritised ahead of the Frenchman.

Cesc Fabregas

While Cesc Fabregas longed for home for a number of years at Arsenal, his departure certainly felt like there was quite a bit of unfinished business on the part of the Spaniard in North London.

The media hype surrounding an imminent move back to Barcelona as well as the very public “tapping up” by a number of Barcelona players and officials, meant the pressure became too much for Arsene Wenger.

The captain of the club and a player who, at such a young age, was able to give the team direction and purpose on the pitch, was never able to lift the Premier League trophy during his time in England, and there must certainly be a feeling of regret on Fabregas’ part.

But unlike other Arsenal departures, the Fabregas saga was not born out of contractual disputes, but rather a lack of ambition in the transfer market.

Cesc needed help, and the excitement became clear in the summer of 2008 when everybody at the club was convinced Xabi Alonso would be arriving from Liverpool.

After a few hours, and of course with a derisory bid from Wenger, the deal fell through.

For such a young player to be handed the responsibility of guiding a team to title glory, it was always going to be a gamble.

Wenger’s romantic idea that a squad built on the foundation of youth could storm England and Europe became too far fetched.

With the eventual arrival of Fabregas in Barcelona, he already looks a new player.

Linking up well with his teammates, who are of the quality to support him, and scoring goals aplenty, it’s a shame Wenger never afforded his young protégé similar levels of support.