So we have finally reached the last installment of the series – it turns out there have been quite a few players whose decision to leave the mighty Arsenal for other big clubs turned out to be questionable, to say the least.
This week: another player who ditched us for the lure of Barcelona, before failing to break into the starting lineup on a regular basis. The second player featured let his contract run down before moving on a free transfer to join a European heavyweight – a situation we could become far too familiar with next summer with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Aleksandr Hleb and Mathieu Flamini.
Aleksandr Hleb
Hleb was something of an unknown entity upon his arrival in London from Stuttgart in 2005, but his reputation grew and he would establish himself as one of the first names on the team-sheet at Arsenal. He was never a prolific goalscorer – his refusal to shoot at times in prime positions provided a source of frustration for many – but his wizardry on the ball and intelligent passing and movement endeared him to Gunners fans.
It was this playing style that enticed Barcelona into believing the Belarusian could fit into their side, and in the summer of 2008 they made a bid of €15m rising to €17m, and the temptation was too much to resist.
Unfortunately for Hleb, he was rarely given the opportunity to impress, and managed only 5 starts in his initial season – 19 league appearances in total during his four years on the books in Catalonia. During this time he was loaned out three times to Stuttgart, Birmingham City and Wolfsburg, where he failed to reproduce the performances that had earned him his move to Spain. During his stint at Birmingham he talked up the possibility of returning to Arsenal, but no offer was forthcoming.
Hleb was finally put out of his misery at Barcelona in January 2012, when his contract was cancelled by mutual consent and signed a deal with Russian side Krylia Sovetov until the end of the season. That summer would see the midfielder re-join his boyhood club, BATE Borisov on an 18-month deal, while again agitating for a move to a bigger club.
With no-one seemingly interested from the major leagues, Hleb signed for Turkish club Konyaspor for a year, before joining their rivals Gençlerbirligi for six months. He would have two more brief spells with BATE Borisov before re-joining Krylia Sovetov – his last club to date. The 36-year-old is yet to officially hang up his boots so there could be time for another couple of stints at former clubs yet.
Although Hleb was part of the Barcelona squad that won the treble in 2009 and racking up four Belarusian titles, it’s safe to say that he never played at the same standard after leaving Arsenal. The man himself admitted last year that leaving north London was a mistake, and given the way his career has gone, it’s hard to argue with him.
Mathieu Flamini
Flamini joined Arsenal from Marseille in the summer of 2004 after breaking into the Ligue 1 side in the previous campaign. Marseille had been unable to tie him down to a long-term professional contract during that season as he’d been too young, and when he came of age, Arsenal swooped in for him and secured his signature under their noses.
Used mainly as a utility player during his first three seasons in London, Flamini failed to impress in most games that he made appearances in, but in the 2007/08 season, that was all to change. After injuries to Gilberto Silva and Abou Diaby had made Flamini the next choice to start alongside Cesc Fabregas at the beginning of that campaign, despite the signing of Lassana Diarra. After a superb start, he cemented his position in the starting line-up, playing most games in a year where Arsenal really should have won the league.
Similarly to Hleb, Flamini left the Gunners in the summer of 2008, however his departure for AC Milan brought the club no revenue as he had let his contract expire after refusing to sign an extension. Considering the way that the Frenchman left that year, with large sections of the Arsenal faithful angry at his perceived betrayal, his reputation now isn’t bad at all having rejoined the club after the expiry of his contract at the San Siro.
Flamini made 123 appearances for the Rossoneri, and while he was a regular during their title-winning campaign in 2010/11, he wasn’t as influential as he had been in that final season with Arsenal. More often than not, he was used as part of a squad rotation, and a serious knee injury kept him out of almost the entire 2011/12 season. Despite originally leaving Milan, he was re-signed for one year on much lower wages, where again he was mainly used from the bench.
Upon the expiry of the year extension, Flamini began training with the Arsenal squad, similarly to how several ex-players have done in recent years. The midfielder impressed Wenger enough to earn a three-year contract offer, which was duly accepted. The bench was a familiar sight for Flamini during his second spell, but an undisputed highlight was his brace against Spurs in the League Cup in September 2015, where a spectacular volley at White Hart Lane secured victory.
The 33-year-old spent last season at Crystal Palace, where he failed to see much game-time and was released this summer. Without a club, it remains to be seen whether he will continue with football or dedicate more time to his business ventures in finding alternative fuel sources which could see him become one of the richest men on the planet if successful.
That 2007/08 season was to be the peak of Flamini’s career in terms of personal performances. He was fantastic that year, and it was extremely frustrating that he left after putting in one great season. Had he stayed in the Premier League, he may have been able to maintain that level in familiar surroundings. He was a useful player to have upon his return to the Emirates, but he never reached the same heights – his powers had most certainly declined.
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