After every season, each club announces their retained list and who will be leaving at the end of their contracts.
That was no different at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and Arsenal were amongst the 20 Premier League teams that let a number of players go. The Gunners confirmed that 10 stars would depart at the end of June, including Ainsley Maitland-Niles, while Reiss Nelson is negotiating a new contract.
But could Arsenal regret their decision to let Maitland-Niles leave? Over the past decade, some players have proved the Gunners wrong and impressed at the top level since being released. With that in mind, Mirror Football have looked at five in particular that have done well for themselves following their departures.
Danny Welbeck
Having signed from Manchester United in 2014, Welbeck could not have been unluckier with the level and timing of the injuries he picked up at the Emirates Stadium. There is no doubt Welbeck was a top talent at Arsenal, but he just somehow could not stay fit for more than one full season.
After 126 appearances and 32 goals, Welbeck was released at the end of his contract in 2019. He moved to Watford for a year, before joining Brighton following the Hornets' relegation to the Championship. Since his move to the Amex Stadium, Welbeck has impressed.
Welbeck scored in Brighton's 3-1 win at Arsenal last November and notched his best-ever tally for the Seagulls last term. The 31-year-old also struck a brace in their 6-0 thumping over Wolves and he helped lead the line for the majority of the season.
Willian
It is safe to say Willian's time at Arsenal did not go to plan. He was signed by Mikel Arteta to bring experience and quality to the Gunners squad. But he never really got going.
Willian impressed on his competitive debut, recording two assists in a 3-0 win over Fulham, and there were signs that the Brazilian could become an important player for the club. However, his Arsenal career took a dramatic downturn as he scored just once in his only season, recording a handful of assists.
And just after a year at the club, which Willian described as "the worst time that he had lived as a professional", he was released. Willian spent 12 months at Corinthians in Brazil, before returning to London with Fulham. He has since impressed at Craven Cottage, scoring five time and providing six assists in 27 league games.
Alexandre Lacazette
Since his departure from Arsenal last summer, Alexandre Lacazette has been one of the most in-form strikers in European football. The Frenchman came second in the Ligue 1 Golden Boot race behind Kylian Mbappe, having struck a remarkable 27 times in 35 matches.
Lacazette enjoyed a successful time in north London and was a fans' favourite, but certainly didn't fit the bill for Arteta as he left at the end of his contract, having scored 71 goals in 206 appearances. Arsenal could certainly do with some of his goals now, however, with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah both struggling for form.
Lukasz Fabianski
The Pole struggled for game time at Arsenal during his seven-year spell. He was second-choice to Manuel Almunia during his first few seasons, before playing a similar role when compatriot Wojciech Szczesny was signed. In 2014, Fabianski just wanted to play regular football.
He was released and joined Swansea, becoming their no.1 goalkeeper in the process. In fact, Fabianski missed just three Premier League matches in four years and was voted as the club's Player of the Season when they were relegated to the Championship.
However, it didn't take long for Fabianski to secure another move. He signed for West Ham in 2018 and almost instantly became an important figure on and off the pitch. Now, 38, Fabianski is still a regular in the Hammers side and helped them win the Europa Conference League earlier this month.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
This may come as a shock to some but Arsenal could do with a player of Mkhitaryan right now. He is versatile, reliable and always would put in 100% every week. The Gunners lack depth in midfield and need more cover on their return to the Champions League next season.
Mkhitaryan has an abundance of quality and helped Inter Milan reach the Champions League final and push Manchester City all the way. He was released by Arsenal in 2020 and has since made a name of himself in Italy with Roma and now Inter.
