Arsenal have had a number of players who have left the club in contentious circumstances and ultimately damaged their relationship with the fans over the years.
Alexis Sanchez lit up the Emirates for three-and-a-half seasons, but left the Gunners faithful furious when he decided to swap N5 for Old Trafford in January 2018.
The likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri have followed similar paths, while Ashley Cole was perhaps the one that most infuriated the Arsenal fanbase.
However, Granit Xhaka once provided a fascinating insight into one man who annoyed supporters in a slightly different way.
Granit Xhaka revealed what Laurent Koscielny was like at Arsenal
After almost ten years of excellent performances for the Gunners, Laurent Koscielny refused to go on Arsenal’s pre-season tour in the summer of 2019.
Forcing a transfer to Bordeaux, against the wishes of manager Unai Emery, the Frenchman then took part in a strange unveiling video with his new club.
The announcement content, which saw Koscielny remove his Arsenal shirt to reveal a Bordeaux shirt, frustrated fans to the point that they refused to appreciate the impressive work he’d done at the Emirates.
In an interview with Soccer AM in 2018, Xhaka named Koscielny as the ‘hardest’ player at the club, explaining that the central defender didn’t laugh much and was a serious guy, which he didn’t have an issue with.
“I think Lolo Koscielny is a guy who doesn’t laugh much in training and is more serious,” the Swiss said.
“He’s a tough guy. I have no problem with it. In my opinion, he’s one of the hardest players at the club.”
Where is Laurent Koscielny now?
Getting his wish, Koscielny joined Bordeaux in 2019 and spent three years with the Ligue 1 club.
Making just 65 appearances across these three years, the centre-half was moved into a non-playing role midway through his final season, so that he could ‘contribute to the development of the club’s international partnerships’.
He then officially announced his retirement from football in March 2022, ending his 18-year career at the top of the game.
He’s now the sporting director of French club Lorient.
When the dust has settled a little more, Koscielny will likely be remembered more fondly by Arsenal fans, with his years of service at the club perhaps underrated in general football discourse.
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