“Max Dowman is magnificent but the academy player who has just being promoted is magical, I’ve never seen such skillful player before”: Bukayo Saka impressed by the academy player promoted to replace Martin Odegaard

Over the last couple of years, Arsenal have been known to offload players off their books, but numerous of which have caused controversy with the fanbase.

Alexis Sanchez is arguably one of the biggest examples in recent history, with the Chilean a star man before his controversial departure in January 2018.

The attacker racked up 80 goals in his 166 appearances for the Gunners, but would depart in a player swap deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan – subsequently seeing the former join Manchester United.

In the present day, boss Mikel Arteta must wish he had a player of his calibre within his first-team, with a prime Sanchez one of the scariest prospects in the Premier League.

However, he wasn’t the only player to make a huge impact at the Emirates before leaving in somewhat controversial circumstances despite their impressive form in North London.

The real reason why Aaron Ramsey left Arsenal
Midfielder Aaron Ramsey was a hugely influential figure during his time at Arsenal, featuring in over 350 games for the club after joining Cardiff City back in 2008.

His rise to stardom in North London was all the more impressive considering the Welshman suffered a horrific leg break under Arsene Wenger against Stoke City in 2010.

Despite being a deep-lying option, the 34-year-old managed to pop up with key goals in vital moments – none more so than the winner in the FA Cup final against Hull City.

However, he would depart the Emirates in controversial circumstances, subsequently leaving on a free transfer to join Italian giants Juventus in the summer of 2019.

Many thought he left after rejecting a new contract to stay with the Gunners, but in an interview after his departure, Ramsey explained all about his move away from the club.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he stated: “I wanted to commit to Arsenal, but then, for whatever reason, the new manager came in and then the contract wasn’t there anymore.

“When Juventus came calling then in January, you know, I had to sort of think about life after Arsenal and secure that as well. It was an experience I was excited about.”

However, in the present day, Arteta may have his own version of his former teammate in his quest to land the club’s first Premier League title in over two decades.

The Arsenal star who’s a Ramsey-type talent
In their attempts to end their unthinkable wait for a league triumph, Arsenal have spent big in recent times, with the board handing Arteta over £200m worth of funds this summer alone.

The likes of Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze have all arrived in North London, massively improving the quality and depth at the manager’s disposal.

Such additions appear to have had the desired effect, with the Gunners currently sitting top of the pile at the second international break of the 2025/26 campaign.

However, other players already at the club will also have a part to play in the coming months, with Mikel Merino undoubtedly a star with a huge part to play between now and May.

The Spaniard joined the club from Real Sociedad last summer, looking to provide added depth and quality to the club’s already stacked midfield department.

He started 2024/25 in such a position, but was rapidly catapulted into a somewhat unfamiliar role as a centre-forward amid the unthinkable injury crisis that plagued Arteta’s squad.

However, he took to the position like a duck to water, subsequently ending his debut campaign on nine across all competitions, six of which came as a striker, sitting third in the club’s top goalscoring charts.

Such a quality is similar to that of Ramsey, who had a habit of popping up with key goals in vital moments – as previously mentioned with his FA Cup-winning effort.

Merino has demonstrated a box-crashing ability to ghost into the opposition box and find the back of the net.

He’s already showcased his goalscoring ability once again this season, scoring the equaliser in the victory over Newcastle United.

Remarkably, he’s also scored six goals in four World Cup qualifying matches for Spain, notably bagging a hat-trick in the European champions’ win over Turkey. He then also scored twice in a 4-0 win over Bulgaria during the present international break.

In the words of Arsenal writer Adam Keys, “Arteta has unlocked a magnet in the box” and his move to join the Gunners has evidently been an exceptional one to date, with the former Sociedad star showcasing a similar ability to Ramsey with his goalscoring exploits.

Should he continue on such a path and continue to pop up in key moments, there’s no reason as to why he can’t make himself a fan-favourite and lead the club to further silverware.