Arsenal set for Gnabry 2.0 with “fantastic” ace

In recent years Arsenal have got a lot better at tying down their key players and ensuring they don’t leave the Emirates Stadium behind.

It wasn’t long ago that the likes of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Martin Odegaard all penned new terms to keep them in north London.

It hasn’t always been like that, however. There were the horrible days of Manchester City pillaging players from Arsenal with the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri all trading the capital for the north west.

Robin van Persie did the same, although headed to Old Trafford, and another club captain in Cesc Fabregas also wanted to seek pastures new, eventually moving to boyhood club Barcelona after a barren run without a trophy.

There’s also the classic example of Serge Gnbary, perhaps the biggest what-if story in the club’s recent history.

Why Serge Gnabry left Arsenal behind

Having made waves in the Arsenal academy, a certain Gnabry made his debut for the Gunners in 2012.

The occasion wasn’t a big one as far as the club were concerned but it was a landmark moment for the player nonetheless, starting a League Cup tie against Coventry City.

Remarkably, despite his eye-catching skillset, he only made a further 17 outings at a first-team level under the legendary Arsene Wenger.

Why, we hear you asking? Well, he had a pretty impressive crop of players to usurp with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott ahead of him on the wings and in central attacking areas. Despite that, he did his best to make an impact and did so against Swansea City when he bagged his first top-flight goal for the Gunners.

Wenger still didn’t take much of a fancy to him and following that infamous loan spell under Tony Pulis at West Brom, he decided that leaving English football behind was for the best.

Since that moment, the German talent has made Mr Wenger and Mr Pulis look rather foolish

He initially joined Werder Bremen for just £4m and then, of course, was snapped up by Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich where he has been nothing short of a sensation. Gnabry has won the league title five times, lifted the Champions League aloft and contributed 86 goals and 56 assists in 255 outings. Not bad, is it?

So, to repeat that error would be a mistake, surely? Well, it could well happen.

Arsenal heading for a Gnabry repeat

Over the last few years, the Gunners have had great success selling on Hale End stars for future profit. You only need to look at the deals surrounding the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Folarin Balogun and Co.

It’s not just been prominent names who have decided to flee the Emirates Stadium either. Thankfully, they have been able to entice Ethan Nwaneri into committing his future to Arsenal but the same sadly could not be said for Chido Obi Martin, their former teenage goal machine.

He departed for Manchester United over the summer after rejecting fresh terms at Colney and a repeat scenario now looks as though it’s emerging.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey this week, teenage sensation Ayden Heaven is attracting interest from a host of domestic and European outfits.

Heaven – aged just 18 – was a regular feature during the club’s pre-season preparations and then made his competitive senior bow in this term’s Carabao Cup. However, according to the report the teen has so far rejected all proposals of a professional deal.

Capable of playing in midfield or central defence, Heaven is versatile and offers a “highly unique” skillset in the words of data analyst Ben Mattinson. He’s also labelled the teen starlet as “fantastic”, hailing his ability in possession of the ball.

Alas, it’s suggested that Premier League big boys such as Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United all have an interest.

There are also foreign suitors in the form of Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli and, coincidentally, Gnabry’s Bayern Munich.

Of course, Heaven has not made a similar impact on the first team yet as Gnabry did during the Wenger years, but a move to Germany at a young age would be eerily similar.

It must be admitted that losing such a young player would not be a blow to Arsenal’s immediate ambitions but losing Gnabry when they did wasn’t either.

The future ramifications, however, particularly considering the Gunners went on to spend £72m on Nicolas Pepe were colossal.

They cannot afford to be looking back on this situation in a few years time wondering what if again. Tying down Heaven, introducing him more to first-team life and selling for a decent fee in the future would be the wisest idea here.

Balogun, Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah serve as fine examples of that particular notion.