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Serge Gnabry could've been a star for Arsenal

Where are they now? Arsenal’s 9 wonderkids from FIFA 14 a decade later

Ben Stewart •

We’re just about getting to grips with the fact that FIFA 14 was released over a decade ago and we thought we’d check in on the nine Arsenal wonderkids from that game.

The Gunners have an excellent reputation when it comes to nurturing young talent, although not all of these young prospects managed to make the cut at the Emirates.

Using the SoFIFA database, we’ve taken a closer look at Arsenal’s nine wonderkids from FIFA 14 and have checked out what they are each up to these days.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

The former Arsenal prospect was highly thought of back in the day and he managed to rack up 198 appearances for the Gunners before making the switch to Liverpool.

Injuries have hampered the midfielder during his recent years, although he seems to be enjoying life in Turkey right now. He’s already scored some belters for Besiktas.

Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrates his first Besiktas goal (credit @beINSPORTS_TR Twitter)

READ: Turkish Super Lig? Completed it mate – Oxlade-Chamberlain has turned into prime Ronaldo already

Yaya Sanogo

Sanogo only managed one goal during his Arsenal tenure, but he has found some success elsewhere. He enjoyed the best spell of his career with Toulouse where he enjoyed three seasons.

Then following an uneventful spell with Huddersfield Town, the striker spent around 20 months as a free agent before he was picked up by Armenian side Urartu last year. In 13 appearances for his new club, he’s managed five goals.

Hector Bellerin

The Spanish full-back was a popular figure in north London during his 11-year stay with the club. However, upon the arrival of Mikel Arteta as head coach, Bellerin’s days were numbered as Ben White promptly replaced him.

After enjoying short stints with Barcelona and Sporting, he now plays for Real Betis who have been going well under Manuel Pellegrini of late.

Chuba Akpom

Akpom spent the majority of his Arsenal tenure out on loan, but he did manage 12 senior appearances before he was shipped off to Greece in 2018.

The 28-year-old enjoyed his most prolific season in 2023-24 with Championship outfit Middlesbrough as he bagged a whopping 28 league goals for Michael Carrick’s side.

On the back of that prolific campaign, he earned a move to Ajax over the summer. While the Dutch club haven’t been at their best this time around, Akpom has chipped in with nine goals in 20 appearances for his new club.

Thomas Eisfeld

Arsene Wenger once compared Eisfeld to Robert Pires, but it’s fair to say the German attacking midfielder didn’t live up to that lofty comparison.

Eisfeld has spent the majority of his career playing in the German second division for Bochum. Now aged 30, he’s since dropped down a division and plays for Rot-Weiss Essen these days.

Gedion Zelalem

The German midfielder was handed some minutes in the cup competitions for Arsenal, but after sensing his first-team opportunities would be limited, he forged a career elsewhere.

Zelalem spent four years in MLS but struggled to establish himself as a regular for Sporting Kansas City or New York City FC.

Following his stint in the United States, the 26-year-old returned to Europe to play for Dutch second-division side Den Bosch where he still plays today.

Ryo Miyaichi

Those who played FIFA 14 will remember just how rapid Miyaichi was on the game. After leaving Arsenal in 2015, the Japanese winger spent the following six years with German second-division club FC St. Pauli.

He’s since returned to his native country and now plays for J1 League outfit Yokohama F. Marinos.

Injuries haven’t been kind to Miyaichi over the years as he has missed over 170 games through various injuries since leaving Arsenal. Fingers crossed, he’s now put those injury troubles behind him.

Serge Gnabry

Undoubtedly, the most successful player on this entire list. Arsenal sensed they had a talent on their hands back in 2014, but they were unable to harness his full potential.

After a sub-par loan spell with West Brom, Gnabry made his return to Germany and he hasn’t looked back since.

In the six and a half seasons he’s had with Bayern Munich, he’s managed to get his hands on 13 trophies while scoring a bucketload of goals along the way. It’s a shame Gunners fans never saw the best of him.

Jon Toral

The Spanish playmaker arrived at Arsenal back in 2011 as a fresh-faced 16-year-old from Barcelona. His technical skills were undeniable, but injuries have hampered his progress throughout his career.

He enjoyed his best years with Hull City in the Championship, although he did miss a large chunk of matches with various knocks.

These days the 28-year-old plays for OFI who currently play in the Greek second division. Had it not been for injuries, you can’t help but wonder how far Toral could have gone in his career.

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