A former Arsenal player, once hailed as “the next Thierry Henry,” is now leading a very different life eight years after departing the club.
Since Henry’s exit in 2007, numerous Arsenal forwards have attempted to fill the void left by the legendary Frenchman, with varying degrees of success. Robin van Persie seamlessly took over as the team’s main striker, earning a move to Manchester United thanks to his impressive goal-scoring record. However, those who followed him experienced mixed fortunes.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang proved to be one of the more successful successors, while Alexandre Lacazette, despite a high-profile transfer from Lyon, did not reach the goal-scoring heights many Arsenal fans had hoped for. Currently, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are Arsenal’s striking options, though both are sidelined due to injuries, with Jesus already ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL tear.
Back in 2013, then-manager Arsène Wenger believed he had found a promising replacement for Henry. Arsenal signed French striker Yaya Sanogo from Auxerre after an impressive season in Ligue 2, where he scored 10 goals in 13 appearances. His performances also earned him a nomination for the 2013 Golden Boy award. Wenger was optimistic about Sanogo’s future, stating, “He has shown potential with his recent performances for Auxerre and the France Under-20 team. We look forward to his development at Arsenal.”
Sanogo made his Arsenal debut in August 2013 and featured in several key matches during his first season but struggled to make an impact, failing to score in 14 appearances. His only goal for the club came in November 2014 during a 2-0 Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund.
By January 2015, Sanogo was loaned to Crystal Palace, where he scored once in the FA Cup but failed to find the net in 10 league matches. Subsequent loan spells at Ajax and Charlton followed before Arsenal released him in the summer of 2017.
Sanogo then returned to France, signing for Toulouse, where he enjoyed a solid first season with nine goals in all competitions. However, his performances declined in the following two seasons. A short stint at Huddersfield Town in the 2020/21 season also failed to revive his career.
His career took an unexpected turn in 2023 when, after 18 months without a club, he joined Armenian side Urartu. Sanogo made an immediate impact, scoring twice on his debut, but an injury in his second game sidelined him for two months. Despite not playing enough matches to earn a medal, he was part of the squad that won the Armenian Premier League. He later featured in Urartu’s Armenian Super Cup match but ended up on the losing side.
In the 2023/24 season, Sanogo scored four goals for Urartu before departing for China’s second-tier club, Qingdao Red Lions. Upon his departure, Urartu expressed gratitude for his contributions, wishing him success in his career.
At Qingdao, a club battling relegation, Sanogo has managed six goals in 19 appearances. A short documentary by Chinese outlet CGTN highlighted his journey, where Sanogo admitted he had never visited China before the move. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I remembered having a great experience in Asia back in 2009. So when the offer came, I thought, ‘Why not?'”
Qingdao’s manager, Sun Xinbo, praised Sanogo’s influence, noting that he was the club’s first foreign signing. “He is dedicated and a valuable asset to our young squad. We rely on him for goals and have high expectations for him,” Sun said.
Leave a Reply