Tomas Rosicky, Alex Song and Wojciech Szczesny in action for Arsenal (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
If you ask Arsenal fans about their memories of players who wasted their careers, the list will likely be dominated by the unfulfilled talents of the likes of Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby, Eduardo and Tomas Rosicky.
While these were all players with huge potential who suffered some serious injuries, there are also some who simply left the club at the wrong time, and for the wrong reasons.
Alex Hleb has spoken about his Arsenal exit, and how he made a mistake being lured away by Barcelona when he was so happy at the Emirates Stadium.
Another who swapped the Gunners for Barca is Alex Song, who has since openly admitted that he only left north London for the big money on offer at the Nou Camp.
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The former Cameroon international first joined Arsenal as a teenager, and took some time to settle in and develop into someone good enough for Arsene Wenger’s starting XI.
His last two or three seasons for Arsenal were really superb, though, and at this point he surely needed to be advised better on how to manage his career.
Alex Song was told he’d play less at Barcelona – he didn’t care
Song says Barcelona told him he would play less often at Barcelona, but he didn’t care about that and just chased the money.
Speaking during an Instagram chat a few years ago, as quoted by Goal, Song said: “I was at Arsenal for eight years but only began to earn a good living in the last four. That was because my salary went up a lot – but also because I came to realise what a waster I was.
“During my entire time at Arsenal, I couldn’t even save £100,000 ($140,000), while people thought I must be a millionaire.
“When Barcelona offered me a contract, and I saw how much I would earn, I didn’t think twice. I felt my wife and children should have comfortable lives once my career is over.
“I met Barca’s sporting director, and he told me I would not get to play many games, but I didn’t give a f*ck – I knew that now I would become a millionaire.”
Somewhat predictably, Song flopped at Barcelona and you have to wonder if it was really worth it for him in the end.
The former Gunner surely could have gone on to achieve great things if he’d stayed at Arsenal, though of course it’s always easy to criticise these decisions with hindsight.
Other big players notably left AFC and were very handsomely rewarded for it in terms of trophies, such as Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Ashley Cole.
You only get one career, and it’s easy to see why Song was tempted by the decision he eventually took.
