Arsenal have confirmed the departure of Santi Cazorla with his current contract having come to a conclusion. The Spain international played a fundamental role in ending the Gunners’ trophy drought in 2014 and he leaves the Gunners having contributed 29 goals and 46 assists across all competitions for the club.
Cazorla became a fan favourite during his time at the Emirates and the supporters were particularly fond of his ability of playing with both feet. Nevertheless, his Gunners career has ended in a sad note after failing to recover from a long-term Achilles problem, which has kept him out of competitive action since October 2016.
As things stand, Cazorla is expected to go through a lengthy training phase before he is ready to represent another club competitively and reports suggest that he could return to Spanish side Villarreal, who have promised to offer him the facilities to regain his fitness ahead of a final hurrah in professional football.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are expected to pursue another central midfielder to fill the void, considering the future of Jack Wilshere remains uncertain heading into the international transfer window. The Englishman has yet to pen an extension with the Capital outfit and he could potentially follow Cazorla through the exit door when his contract expires next month.
Aside from the duo, Aaron Ramsey has been another whose future has been questioned but the Welshman has some time on his side with his contract lasting until the summer of 2019. The 27-year-old was recently named the club’s Player of the Year after beating Nacho Monreal by the slimmest of margins.