Although he never fulfilled his potential at Arsenal, Serge Gnabry clearly remembers his time in north London fondly and named four former Gunners teammates in his dream XI.
The Bayern Munich ace spent five seasons on Arsenal’s books, earning his senior debut in 2012 and making a further 17 appearances under Arsene Wenger’s tutelage.
Gnabry helped the Gunners clinch FA Cup glory in 2014 – ending their nine-year trophy drought – and spent time developing alongside some of the finest players to represent the club over the last decade.
The 25-year-old picked two of his old midfield colleagues in his dream team along with two defenders, but only one of the chosen four remains with the club today.
Some are remembered fondly by Arsenal fans, while others have mixed reputations thanks to the nature of their departures.
Here, Mirror Football takes a look at what happened to the four Arsenal players Gnabry named in his dream XI.
Hector Bellerin
(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Gnabry and Hector Bellerin’s bond began in the academy ranks, with both players joining in 2011 and catching the eye of Arsenal coaches.
While the German winger managed a meagre tally of one goal in 18 appearances before leaving the Gunners in 2016, Bellerin has been a mainstay at right-back since his breakthrough 2014/15 season.
The Spaniard serves as Arsenal’s vice-captain and has racked up 234 appearances, although his future at the Emirates is uncertain and he is strongly linked with a summer exit.
Bellerin has a close bond with compatriot Mikel Arteta but may favour a switch to Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain in order to fulfil his ambitions of winning titles.
Santi Cazorla
(Image: 2014 The FA)
It comes as no surprise to see Santi Cazorla named among Gnabry’s selections.
Technically-gifted, adept with both feet and a general joy to watch, the Spanish maestro was an Emirates favourite throughout his time at Arsenal.
When Gnabry was handed minutes by Wenger, he was generally playing alongside Cazorla in attacking midfield and the pair formed a fine partnership.
The German assisted Cazorla’s opening goal as Arsenal beat Tottenham 2-0 in the FA Cup third round in 2014, setting Arsenal on course to win the competition that season and end their trophy drought.
Cazorla would make a total of 180 appearances for Arsenal before an ankle injury became gangrenous and threatened to bring his playing career to an end.
But, remarkably, he recovered following a skin graft and spent two successful seasons with Villarreal before joining Qatari side Al Sadd last summer to play under the management of his former Spain teammate Xavi.
Mesut Ozil
(Image: Stuart MacFarlane)
Mesut Ozil’s inclusion may not sit so well with Arsenal fans.
The World Cup-winning playmaker was once the flavour of the month in north London but his public falling out with Arteta soured his relationship with the club and a large section of its fans.
Ozil joined from Real Madrid for a then-club-record fee of £42million in 2013 and Gnabry scored his sole Arsenal goal while partnering his fellow German in attacking midfield – during a 2-1 win at Swansea in September that year.
Ozil would enjoy many more fruitful seasons before his career took a downward trajectory due to his strained relationships with Unai Emery and Arteta.
After failing to make an appearance since March last year, he ended his exile under Arteta by joining for boyhood club Fenerbahce in January.
But Ozil’s time with the Turkish club has been challenging so far and he managed just a handful of appearances before suffering a serious ankle injury.
Laurent Koscielny
(Image: REUTERS)
Speaking of acrimonious departures, Laurent Koscielny damaged his Arsenal legacy by refusing to travel on the club’s pre-season tour in order to force a move to Bordeaux in 2019.
Once he joined the French club, he then enraged Gunners fans with a “disrespectful” video announcing his signing.
Nonetheless, Gnabry remembers his time lining up with the steadfast centre-back fondly and named him in his dream team defence alongside Bellerin and Bayern teammates Niklas Sule and Alphonso Davies.
Koscielny made 353 appearances for Arsenal, winning three FA Cups, and his partnership with Per Mertesacker was one of the most formidable in the Premier League for many seasons.
The former France international has played 50 games for Bordeaux since his controversial exit, although he launched a surprising attack on his own teammates last month.
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