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Arsenal ace: I considered leaving this summer

By on September 4, 2015

Mathieu Debuchy

Mathieu Debuchy has admitted he contemplated leaving Arsenal this summer after losing the first team place to Hector Bellerin.

The French international joined Arsenal in the summer of 2014 but his first season at the club was plagued by injury problems, with the defender first suffering ankle ligament damage before dislocating his shoulder in January.

The injuries restricted Debuchy to just 11 Premier League starts last season and Bellerin took his opportunity with both hands and made the right-back spot his own during the second half of last year.

Arsene Wenger appears to have stuck by the young Spaniard this term, with Bellerin starting four out of our five games so far, and Debuchy has admitted he considered his Arsenal future after being left out of the Community Shield win over Chelsea.

“It is difficult,” Debuchy is quoted by the Guardian as telling L’Equipe.

“Even if I had not played a lot last season, in my head I would return to start after my recovery. But, at the Community Shield against Chelsea, Wenger chose him, Bellerin.

“It was a surprise and a disappointment. Let’s say it [leaving] crossed my mind. But I want to be at Arsenal and to take my place,”

I would have been hugely disappointed had Debuchy asked to leave just because Bellerin is currently ahead of him in the pecking order.

He has lost his place because Hector has taken his chance while Debuchy was out injured, so it’s up to the Frenchman to work hard and win his place back.

Thankfully he opted to stay and it sounds like he’s ready to fight for the right-back slot, but he’ll do well to displace Bellerin any time soon as the youngster hasn’t put a foot wrong since coming into the team.