Arsenal has risen from a mid-table team to one that is now competing for the Premier League crown for the third time in as many seasons.
Mikel Arteta has completely revitalized the club, and while much of this can be attributed to his tactics and philosophy, recruitment and youth development have been equally significant.
Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, and even Kai Havertz, for example, have emerged as key members of the first team, while Bukayo Saka has become the project’s poster boy. Reported Arsenal News.
However, if the club had not sold another teenager eight years ago, the Spaniard would have had another world-class player in his squad, a talent compared to Saka and even Jamal Musiala.
Arsenal’s notable exits in 2016
Before we get to the talent in issue, another renowned Arsenal player, Arteta, left the club in the summer of 2016.
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Yes, the Gunners’ current, potentially era-defining manager retired at the end of the 2015/16 season, after five successful years as a player for London’s finest club.
During those six seasons, the San Sebastian-born leader made 150 first-team appearances, scoring 16 goals, assisting eight times, and winning two FA Cups and two Community Shields.
However, probably the most significant hint of his future career path was Arsène Wenger’s appointment of him as the club’s permanent captain in the summer of 2014, just a few months after he led the team to FA Cup victory over Hull City, ending their eight-year trophy drought.
Throughout his career, the 42-year-old was predominantly a center and defensive midfielder.
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