Francis Coquelin had been deemed surplus to requirements at the Emirates Stadium and sent out to Charlton Athletic on-loan. However, just six-weeks later Arsene Wenger had a defensive crisis on his hands and was forced to recall the Frenchman in an attempt to ease their troubles.
Coquelin’s tenacity, passion and fight soon saw him partnering Santi Cazorla in the heart of the Gunners midfield with many labelling him as the tough-tackling midfielder the club had needed for years. These fans took to Twitter to praise the now 28-year-old.
Only started playing december 2014!! Was unreal from then til injury wba November 2015! Arguably best dm in PL and 1 of best in Europe!
— goonergeez (@GeezDean) November 18, 2019
Reminds of Torreira, breaking up play, annoying the opposition!
— Kevin Cecile (@KevinCecile1979) November 18, 2019
Love him his passion
— Chris Tatum ? (@christatum49) November 18, 2019
So good at the simple things which so many players lack nowadays
— Emery and Monchi (@EmeryMonchi) November 18, 2019
He was really good that season.
— Adalbert (@adalbertAFC) November 18, 2019
Loved him. Fabulous player. Fans got on his back. Had to leave. Real shame as he’d still walk into our team.
— Vik (@ViktheViking1) November 18, 2019
Better than Xhaka.
— Ciro Di Gooner (@eroadgooner) November 18, 2019
What do we think?
Coquelin, who is valued at £18 million (as per Transfermarkt), instantly brought the type of ‘bite’ to the Arsenal midfield the team had been lacking ever since Gilberto Silva departed the club in 2008. He formed an excellent partnership with the technically flawless Santi Cazorla and the pair turned in some impressive displays for the North London club. Coquelin’s effort and passion was never questioned and rightly so, however the more he played the more his technical limitations came to the forefront.
A series of unfortunate injuries hampered the midfielder’s development and eventually, he was allowed to leave the club for Spanish outfit Valencia in January 2018 for a fee of approximately €14m (£11.9m). Wenger went on to sign Granit Xhaka most likely because he felt he needed a player in that position who would be more competent in possession, able to start play from deep and he felt the Swiss international was an upgrade on the Frenchman.
Naturally, when the team aren’t doing particularly well, supporters will reminisce about former players and try to gauge how they might fare in the current side. However, the reality is that as passionate as he was, Coquelin was only ever a short-term solution to an issue the Gunners have had for years. At the time, there weren’t many calling for the club to keep him.