Arsenal Face Familiar Transfer Regret With Serge Gnabry Reunion

Arsenal have not always made the best decisions when it comes to selling players. Gabriel Martinelli’s move to Al-Hilal this summer broke the club record dating back to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s departure, but Serge Gnabry remains one of the more interesting examples of a player Arsenal reluctantly allowed to leave before reaching his potential.

Following Michael Olise’s red card against Viking last week, and with Jamal Musiala expected to miss out with a thigh injury, Serge Gnabry could be handed an opportunity to start against his former side, having spent six years at Arsenal.

The 31-year-old will join Vincent Kompany at Tuesday’s press conference, which can often be an indicator of a player’s involvement in the following day’s fixture, although it is not guaranteed.

Gnabry has a strong record against his former side in their last three meetings. He scored at the Emirates in 2024 and assisted Lennart Karl for Bayern’s only goal in their 3-1 defeat in north London last year.

Signed by Arsène Wenger from VfB Stuttgart in 2010, the German winger made his professional debut two years later in a League Cup tie against Coventry City.

His first few years showed promising signs, becoming the second-youngest player to make his Premier League debut for Arsenal at the age of 17.

However, after a loan spell at West Brom, Gnabry left Arsenal for Werder Bremen in 2016 despite the club’s desire to keep him, and his career subsequently gained momentum in Germany. He joined Bayern Munich a year later, initially spending a season on loan at Hoffenheim before establishing himself in Munich.

Speaking about the decision to leave in 2016 during an interview with German magazine Kicker, Gnabry said: ‘It was the right decision [to leave Arsenal]. Everybody who compares my development over the last four months to my time in England before that can’t come to a different conclusion.

‘That was the main reason for the transfer - I wanted to get more playing time and it worked. Arsenal wanted to keep me, badly. But I had to look after my development.’

Since joining the Bavarian giants, Gnabry has gone on to win seven Bundesliga titles and the Champions League in 2020, alongside featuring for the German national team at senior international level and also at the Olympic Games.

Injuries have played a significant role in the last few seasons, with adductor problems forcing the 31-year-old to miss a large period of last season.

However, his timely return to fitness is expected to give him another opportunity to feature in the Champions League against the club where his professional career began, highlighting how far his career has progressed.