“What if Chelsea or Arsenal come knocking?”

Arsenal fans will be keen to see at least one first team face join the club during this transfer window, with just Cohen Bramell being the Gunners only signing so far this January. There are plenty of names supposedly on the wanted list, but could a former Arsenal youth player get the chance to return as a first team regular?

Serge Gnabry was in the Arsenal youth set up for quite some time, after moving from his homeland nation of Germany to join the Gunners. There was plenty of promise about him in his youth and after making his debut for the club, there were clear indications that we had a potential star on our hands. Despite good performances here and there for a number of seasons, the player finally recognised that he wasn’t getting enough game time at Arsenal to suffice for his potential. The winger decided that a move away from the Emirates was the best decision and despite Arsene Wenger’s apparent intention to keep the player, Gnabry was sold to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen.

The German has since become a star for Bremen and for his national side. Gnabry scored a hat trick on his break into the international squad and it’s likely he will remain a consistent member of the squad from now on. Such good performances for both club and country have subsequently increased rumours about his future and now Gnabry himself has made a statement about where his career may be heading.

In a report initially quoted from German outlet Bild, Gnabry said: “For my future, I’ve decided to focus on how I play now and today. That’s why I’m trying to concentrate on the now.”

“As of today, I do not intend to change in the summer. But what happens in the future depends on my performance. What if Chelsea or Arsenal come knocking? Well, at the moment I’m trying to give everything to Werder.”

The statement shows that the player is clearly keen on remaining with the Bundesliga side for now, however he doesn’t rule out a return to the Premier League in the not too distant future. The player surely has a commitment to Arsenal, despite having moved on from the club. He will surely be disappointed to have never truly made the breakthrough in North London, despite a number of very promising performances. If Wenger was able to offer him a potential return to the club where he made his professional debut, then I’m sure it would be an option Gnabry would seriously consider.

The move won’t happen this January and I find it unlikely Gnabry would also return after only a year in the summer. Whether Arsenal remain interested in making a move is something that is yet to be seen, but personally I think he would make a great addition that Wenger may otherwise regret once losing.

By AH