Every first-team player Arsenal sold or released in 2019 & how they’ve fared

Quick Reads

Arsenal endured a torrid Premier League season in 2019-20 – so it’s only natural to look at who they let go last summer and ask if any mistakes were made.

The Gunners spent over £100mmilion on new signings in 2019, but what has come of the players they sold to finance that spending?

After looking at the academy graduates who were released by the club in 2019, we’ve now taken a look at the first-team players who were sold or released to see how they’ve fared this past season.

David Ospina

After a one-year loan stint at Napoli, Ospina joined the Serie A side on a permanent deal in 2019.

The goalkeeper lost his starting spot to Alex Meret in the early stages of the campaign, but worked his way back into the side under Gennaro Gattuso.

Alex Iwobi

Despite featuring prominently under Unai Emery, Iwobi fell down the pecking order following the big-money arrival of Nicolas Pepe in 2019.

The winger joined Everton in a £34million deal but has failed to justify the price tag, scoring two goals in 29 appearances in 2019-20.

“I’m no longer that young prospect, that young talent,” Iwobi told the Daily Mail in June 2020.

“I have to show why there was so much hype about me. The only way you can do that is in games. I feel I’m at that time in my career when I need to start doing that. I need to up my stats a bit more, improve a bit more.”

Nacho Monreal

Monreal enjoyed a successful a six-and-a-half year spell in north London before returning to Spain with Real Sociedad in 2019.

The 34-year-old established himself as a key player for La Real in 2019-20, helping his side book their place in the Copa del Rey final.

Krystian Bielik

Bielik joined Arsenal in January 2015 but only ever made two senior appearances for the club, both in the League Cup.

After three separate loan spells away from the Emirates, he eventually completed a £9.5million move to Derby County in 2019.

The midfielder made 21 appearances for the Championship side before a knee injury brought his season to a premature end in January.

Laurent Koscielny

Koscielny ended his nine-year association with Arsenal in acrimonious circumstances after refusing to go on their pre-season tour to the USA.

He eventually completed a £4.6million transfer to Bordeaux and has been an ever-present for the Ligue 1 side in 2019-20, making 28 appearances in all competitions.

“I can understand that Arsenal fans did not expect me to leave,” Koscielny told Canal+ in December 2019.

“Nobody expected it. To put it simply, I was not happy as I was on the first day I signed. And with my family, we needed to go back to France and have a new challenge.”

Carl Jenkinson

Jenkinson featured in just three league games in his final season at Arsenal before making a £2million move to Nottingham Forest.

The right-back was hampered by an ankle injury during the first half of the season and made just 10 appearances in all competitions after losing his place in the side to Matty Cash.

READ: How TWO Arsenal outfielders ended up in goal on loan at West Ham

Takuma Asano

After three years on loan in Germany, Asano joined Partizan Belgrade in 2019, having never made a first-team appearance for the Gunners.

The Japan international enjoyed a great start to his career in Serbia, scoring 21 minutes into his debut against Yeni Malatyaspor in the Europa League third qualifying round.

He then scored four goals in 23 appearances in the Serbian SuperLiga, helping Partizan finish in second place in 2019-20.

Stephan Lichsteiner

Lichtsteiner only spent one season at the Emirates and joined FC Augsburg on a free transfer in 2019.

The defender helped the Bundesliga side narrowly avoided relegation in 2019-20, but he was released at the end of the season.

At least he’ll have more free time to sell some expensive keys.

READ: Why is Stephan Lichtsteiner trying to sell me some really expensive keys?

Aaron Ramsey

After 11 years in north London, Ramsey bid an emotional farewell to the club and signed for Juventus on a free transfer in 2019.

But the midfielder struggled to make an impact for the Serie A side, making just 11 starts in all competitions during an injury-hit maiden campaign.

He has recently been linked with a move back to the Premier League with Juventus reportedly preparing to part ways with the Wales international.

Danny Welbeck

Welbeck was plagued by injury problems during his five years at Arsenal and was released by the club at the end of the 2018-19 season.

The striker was given a Premier League lifeline by Watford but spent more time on the sidelines in 2019-20, scoring three goals in 20 appearances in all competitions.

Xavier Amaechi

Amaechi joined the influx of young British players moving to Germany last summer after signing for Hamburg in a £2.25million deal.

The 19-year-old made just three appearances for the 2. Bundesliga side in 2019-20, watching on from the bench for the majority of his new club’s fixtures.

“I am very patient. Of course I want to play. Of course, when I’m not in the team, I’m sad. But I’m trying to impress the coach in training,” Amaechi told BILD in November 2019. “I would immediately sign a contract with HSV again.”

Dominic Thompson

Thompson came through the academy at Arsenal but failed to make a senior appearance despite travelling with the squad to the Europa League fixture with Vorskla Poltava in 2018.

The left-back was sold to Brentford for a reported fee of around £3million, but played just five minutes in the Championship in 2019-20.

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