Laurent Koscielny was a surprise departure from Arsenal in 2019, with the defender looking back fondly on his time with the Gunners but there's no denying some fans remain hurt by how things played out
Former Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny bid farewell to North London in 2019 in unexpected circumstances. After nearly a decade at the Emirates Stadium, the Frenchman was close to celebrating a career milestone, only to confirm his exit less than a year before bringing up a decade with the club.
Nevertheless, the choice becomes easier to rationalise when hearing why the now-retired centre-back wanted to move on. At the time, Koscielny was serving as Unai Emery's captain and had helped guide the club to three FA Cups in the previous five years - all under Arsene Wenger, the manager who signed him.
Matters were no longer as positive behind the scenes as they once were, though. Koscielny felt a parting of ways was necessary and joined Bordeaux in a transfer worth close to £5million, fulfilling his desire for a return to Ligue 1.
"I can understand that Arsenal fans did not expect me to leave," the centre-back, now 40, told Canal+ shortly after his departure. "Nobody expected it. To put it simply, I was not happy as I was on the first day I signed. And with my family, we needed to go back to France and have a new challenge."
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While Koscielny may characterise his exit as entirely unexpected, not every Arsenal supporter may view things that way. He was nearing his 34th birthday at that point and had just missed half the 2018/19 campaign after suffering an Achilles injury.
From a commercial standpoint, it may well have made sense to offload the player at that juncture. What's more, he had just 12 months remaining on his deal, making the summer of 2019 Arsenal's final genuine opportunity to generate funds from his departure.
In his stead, the Gunners spent significantly to bring in the likes of William Saliba, David Luiz and Pablo Mari. While Saliba is the only one of the three still in North London today, fans may well be thankful to Koscielny that his departure paved the way for them to sign a player who has developed into the finest defenders in the world today.
It's also understood Koscielny's supposed behaviour around that period left a bitter taste back at Arsenal. It was reported the veteran declined to accompany his Arsenal colleagues on their pre-season tour of the United States in order to push through the switch to Bordeaux, whilst his unveiling - where he stripped off his former side's shirt to reveal his new one - further inflamed tensions.
Things weren't easy for him back in France, though, and Koscielny arguably didn't have the opportunity to end his career on his own terms. With Bordeaux entering desperate straits financially in the years that followed his arrival, a request came in for the veteran to cut his wages in early 2022.
It wasn't too long after that when he moved into a secondary role working with the French club's academy. He still racked up a few minutes during the 2021/22 season but retired from playing midway through the campaign.
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Koscielny ultimately returned to Lorient, the club where he initially attracted Arsenal's interest before his 2010 arrival. He has operated as the club's sporting director since 2024 and has contributed to overseeing their revival in France's premier division.
With Arsenal firmly in contention to secure Champions League glory this season, there could even arrive a moment one day in the future when the two sides meet in European competition. If that happens, there may be some conflicting emotions from certain quarters at the Emirates should Koscielny return as part of the visiting team.