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6 most heartbreaking Arsenal exits
- There have been some devastating departures from the club over the years
Over the years, Arsenal have had to make decisions that have resulted in some truly heartbreaking exits from the club.
Emile Smith Rowe's departure to Fulham has left many supporters fetching the tissues given that he was expected to become a club legend after breaking out in north London at the end of 2020
His exit is one of six that stand out from the rest as the most heartbreaking.
1. Emmanuel Petit
Emmanuel Petit was sold to Barcelona in 2000 after three seasons at Arsenal. He had been a crucial part of Arsene Wenger's early years at the club and played an integral part in the 1997/98 double-winning season.
Having scored 11 goals in 118 appearances for the Gunners, plenty of fans would have been sad to see Petit leave the club. Many may have felt that he had more to offer Arsene Wenger and Arsenal.
Petit spent just one season at Barcelona and returned to the Premier League in 2001 after a move to Arsenal's rivals Chelsea. Despite the controversial move, he is still remembered as a fan favourite among Gooners.
2. Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry is the greatest goalscorer and player in the history of Arsenal Football Club and when his transfer to Barcelona was announced, fans would have been nothing short of devastated.
After an injury-plagued 2006/07 campaign, Henry was expected to remain at Arsenal for the next season at least. However, he ended up joining Barcelona for €24m in a move that was a real dagger to the heart of Arsenal fans.
His departure symbolised the nearing end of Arsenal's best period under Arsene Wenger and despite the talent that remained at the club, it was no doubt the beginning of the 'dark days'. Henry returned to north London in 2012 on a short loan spell and made a decent impact before saying his second farewell.
3. Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas' talent was clear when he broke into the Arsenal first team after just one year in the club's academy. After breaking club records, he became captain and evolved into one of the best midfielders in the world.
However, the Spain international's Arsenal career was brought to an end when he joined boyhood club Barcelona in 2011 following a lengthy transfer saga. This departure would have been incredibly devastating for fans given Fabregas had so much more potential given he was still young at the time of the move. Arsenal had failed to hold onto one of the greatest midfielders of the 21st century.
Fans were truly gutted to see Fabregas leave the club and to rub salt into the wounds, he returned to the Premier League three years later to join Chelsea.
4. Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie joined Arsenal in 2004 and was a consistent bright spark in an immensely talented team that was slowly being picked apart by clubs across Europe. He was made club captain ahead of the 2011/12 season and netted 30 Premier League goals that campaign just to betray his team soon after.
The Dutchman decided against signing a new contract in the summer of 2012 and completed a move to direct rivals Manchester United for an eventual £24m fee. Fans were both devastated and angry at such a controversial transfer.
Gooners were saddened to have lost such a talented player to one of Arsenal's fiercest rivals but were also angry at Robin van Persie, even branding him a snake. It is safe to say that Van Persie truly tarnished his Arsenal legacy with this move.
5. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's move to Barcelona on a free transfer was certainly the right decision on the club's behalf but was still a heartbreaking one.
The Gabon international had suffered a major fallout with manager Mikel Arteta due to several disciplinary issues and eventually had his contract terminated in the 2022 winter transfer window. It was still sad to see Aubameyang leave the club given he was the only consistent performer throughout one of the darkest periods in Arsenal's history.
Aubameyang is still loved by Arsenal fans even if he did slightly damage his legacy with a move to Chelsea in the 2022 summer window.
6. Emile Smith Rowe
This one really hurts. Smith Rowe was meant to be one of the leading lights of Arteta's project.
The academy graduate is Arsenal through and through and his loyalty has never been questioned during his time at the club. He deserved to spend his entire career with the Gunnera but injuries and other emerging talent have prevented this.
Smith Rowe's exit seemed inevitable and is certainly the right decision but that does not make it any less heartbreaking for him and the fans.
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