SERGE GNABRY has been giving a lot of people nightmares over the last year.
Opposition players, opposing bosses… Arsenal fans.
Serge Gnabry leaving Arsenal will always upset GoonersCredit: EPA
Gnabry was once a Gunners flop – and now he’s an elite winger thriving elsewhere.
And the German ace isn’t the only one either.
We take a look at FIVE players who failed to inspire at Arsenal before launching themselves to stardom elsewhere.
SERGE GNABRY
THE German winger, 25, was once on the books of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal.
In five years at the club between 2011 and 2016, Gnabry made just ten Premier League appearances.
He was even loaned out to West Brom – where he warmed the bench, playing just once.
So it was surprising when German giants Werder Bremen came knocking.
Signed for just £100,000, Wenger leapt at the chance to sell Gnabry for £5million.
But since then, the winger has become one of the most-feared wingers on the planet, routinely tearing defences apart.
Arsenal fans have had nightmares ever since – and were given a bittersweet reminder last season.
Gnabry scored four times as Bayern thumped arch-rivals Tottenham 7-2 in the Champions League.
And he’s only getting better, too – now with two Bundesliga winners medals in his trophy cabinet and a Champions League and Club World Cup gong next to them…
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ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN
Oxlade-Chamberlain has won the Premier League and Champions League since quitting ArsenalCredit: Reuters
THE England star, 27, never really settled down at Arsenal – which seems bizarre to say having played well over 100 times.
But in six years in North London following his teenage move from Southampton, The Ox was never a regular.
The ex-Saints man made it desperately clear he wanted to play in the heart of midfield.
But Wenger stubbornly refused, seeing him as a ‘Theo Walcott-type’ marauding up the wing.
So the French boss was keen to cash-in when Liverpool came knocking with a surprise £35m offer.
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s progress has been hampered by injury, but when fit, he’s proven to be a key cog in Jurgen Klopp’s rampant Reds machine.
Playing in his preferred central role, he has shone charging forward with the ball and showing off his elite long-distance shooting with a handful of sensational solo strikes.
Most-importantly, having been limited to just three FA Cup wins at Arsenal, Oxlade-Chamberlain now has a Premier League AND Champions League winners medal following his move to Anfield.
WOJCIECH SZCZESNY
Szczesny has won three Serie A titles at JuventusCredit: Reuters
IN 11 years at Arsenal, the Polish stopper struggled to convince Wenger he was worthy of the No1 spot.
In fact, in that time, he only ONCE played every game in the season – limited to just 132 appearances.
Even when he was handed the role between the sticks, he was often the subject of fan criticism.
After two years on loan at Roma, Arsenal eventually sold Szczesny to Juventus.
There, he has won three Serie A titles and been the epitome of consistency.
There aren’t many goalkeepers who could keep Gianluigi Buffon out of the starting XI…
DONYELL MALEN
Malen never played for Arsenal’s senior team but is now a Holland international being chased by BarcelonaCredit: AFP
THE Dutch star is starting to give off real Gnabry vibes…
Malen, 22, spent two years at the Gunners between 2015 and 2017 but never made it out of the youth ranks.
But since moving back to Holland to join PSV Eindhoven, the forward has become one of the hottest properties in Europe.
Malen has scored 43 goals in just 93 matches for the Eredivisie giants in all competitions – earning himself his first six Holland caps in the process.
The ex-Gunners ace is quickly garnering the attention of a host of European giants – including Barcelona.
And at this trajectory, he could haunt Arsenal fan’s dreams for more than a decade.
GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST
Van Bronckhorst left Arsenal, shone at Barcelona and even reached the 2010 World Cup finalCredit: AFP
AFTER starring at Rangers, Dutch international Van Bronckhorst was signed by Wenger in 2001 for a fee of £8m.
He was signed as the replacement for the departing Emmanuel Petit to partner Patrick Vieira in Arsenal’s engine room.
However, a cruciate ligament injury saw him on the treatment room after just a few months at the club.
He returned but Wenger struggled to find his best position, with Van Bronckhorst alternating between midfield and left-back.
In 2003, he was loaned to Barcelona, where he went on to make 155 appearances, won two La Liga titles and a Champions League – beating Arsenal 2-1 in the 2006 final.
Van Bronckhorst later appeared in the 2010 World Cup final for Holland.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
