What happened to Mikel Arteta's unwanted Arsenal quartet who left to help fund rebuild

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Following three years of falling short, Arsenal appear poised to shed that label and ultimately fulfil their title ambitions. Having topped the Premier League standings since early October, the Gunners are also strongly positioned in the Champions League and continue their campaigns in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, the latter seeing them meet Manchester City in this month's final.

The journey to success has been lengthy and challenging for Mikel Arteta who has rebuilt his squad through substantial investment over the summer, with the club bidding farewell to several first-team regulars .

The Spaniard doesn't shy away from bold calls, as evidenced by his uncompromising removal of Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during his early days at the Emirates Stadium. Admittedly, his choice to sanction the departures of Oleksandr Zinchenko , Jorginho , Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney proved far less contentious but equally crucial in elevating Arsenal to greater heights.

Before their departure, the quartet held a combined value of £55million according to Transfermarkt, but considering the latter three departed on free transfers and the Gunners secured merely £1.3m for the Ukraine international, virtually no revenue was generated from their exits.

In Zinchenko's situation, he was originally sent on loan to Nottingham Forest last summer but featured in merely five league matches for the Premier League side after being sidelined for nearly two months through injury.

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His loan was formally terminated in January, enabling him to join Ajax on a permanent transfer. He managed only two outings for the Dutch club before sustaining a severe knee injury that sidelined him for the season's remainder.

Following two campaigns in north London, Jorginho moved to Brazilian outfit Flamengo as a free agent and has been an almost constant presence for his new employers. He's already collected four trophies since his arrival after claiming the FIFA Challenger Cup, FIFA Derby of the Americas, Copa Libertadores and Campeonato Brasileiro Série A crown.

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Thomas Partey likewise departed after discussions over a new contract failed to reach agreement, affording the Ghana international the chance to return to Spain with Villarreal . Hampered by injuries throughout his spell in the Premier League, fitness problems have resurfaced for the midfielder this campaign as he's been absent for nine fixtures across all competitions.

Partey, 32, last began a league encounter for the La Liga outfit in November and has accumulated merely 94 minutes of league action since. The longest serving individual of the quartet, Kieran Tierney permanently concluded his six-year stint in London by heading home to boyhood outfit Celtic .

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