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Arsenal release Andrei Arshavin, Denilson and Sebastien Squillaci

The trio's contracts will not be renewed when they expire at the end of the month

Simon Rice
Thursday 06 June 2013 11:40 BST
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Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin
Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin

Arsenal have announced that Andrei Arshavin, Denilson and Sebastien Squillaci are all set to leave the club at the end of the month when their contracts expire.

While the news does not come as a surprise, all had fallen into the shadows at the Emirates, in the case of Arshavin it spells the end of a frustrating time spent at the club.

The Russian joined the club in a £15m January transfer deal in 2009 and with him brought huge expectations. It seemed he would live up to the billing he created for himself with his scintillating displays at Euro 2008 with Russia when shortly after his arrival he scored four times in a 4-4 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.

Yet over time he slipped out of the first team picture and was regularly substituted by Arsene Wenger or used as a substitute. In his 11 appearances last season he scored one goal, although did notch five assists.

In total the 32-year-old made 144 appearances for the Gunners over five seasons, scoring 31 times.

Denilson joined Arsenal from Sao Paulo in 2006 and made 153 appearances for the club. However, after spending the last two seasons on loan at Brasileirao, his exit was expected. His best season for Arsenal came in 2008/09 when he featured in all but one of their Premier League games in a season in which the club finished fourth in the league.

Squillaci spent three seasons at the club after joining from Sevilla in 2010. The French centre-back always seemed like a strange signing, particularly considering Wenger's preference for youth and the fact he was 29-years-old when he joined. In his debut season at the Emirates he featured 32 time, but his first team opportunities became limited after that.

A statement on the club's website read: "Everyone at Arsenal would like to wish Andrei, Denilson and Sebastien all the very best."

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