A former Arsenal player once dubbed as ‘the next Thierry Henry’ is leaving a very different life eight years on from leaving the club.
Since Thierry Henry’s departure from Arsenal in 2007, several forwards have tried to step into his shoes, with varying degrees of success.
Robin van Persie took over as the main striker and delivered goals that earned him a move to Manchester United. However, his successors’ performances have been more inconsistent. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was arguably the most successful of them, while Alexandre Lacazette, who was bought for a significant sum from Lyon, failed to meet the prolific expectations that fans had for him.
Currently, Arsenal’s striking options are Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, though both players are injured and might miss the remainder of the season, with Jesus already confirmed to have suffered an ACL injury.
Back in 2013, Arsène Wenger believed he had found a promising candidate to fill Henry’s role—Yaya Sanogo. After scoring 10 goals in 13 Ligue 2 matches for Auxerre the previous season, Sanogo was signed to a long-term contract by Arsenal. He was even nominated for the 2013 Golden Boy award, and Wenger spoke highly of him as a potential future star. However, things didn’t work out for the young French striker at the club.
A former Arsenal player once hailed as ‘the next Thierry Henry’ is now leading a very different life eight years after leaving the club.
Since Henry’s departure in 2007, several forwards have attempted to fill his shoes at Arsenal, but with varying levels of success. Robin van Persie succeeded Henry as the main striker, and his goals helped him secure a move to Manchester United. However, the fortunes of his successors have been mixed. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was perhaps the most successful, while Alexandre Lacazette, who was bought for a substantial fee from Lyon, didn’t quite reach the prolific heights expected by fans.
Currently, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are Arsenal’s primary attacking options, though both players are injured and may miss the remainder of the season, with Jesus confirmed to have an ACL injury.
Back in 2013, Arsène Wenger believed he had found a promising forward who could step into Henry’s role—Yaya Sanogo. After impressing with 10 goals in 13 Ligue 2 matches for Auxerre the previous season, Arsenal signed the young striker to a long-term contract. Sanogo was even nominated for the 2013 Golden Boy award, and Wenger spoke highly of him as a future star.
However, Sanogo’s time at Arsenal didn’t go as planned. He made his debut in August 2013 and appeared in several major matches, but he failed to score a goal in his first 14 appearances. It wasn’t until November 2014, during a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, that he finally found the net, and that proved to be his only goal for the club.
By January 2015, Sanogo had played his final game for Arsenal and was loaned to Premier League side Crystal Palace. He scored once in the FA Cup but once again struggled in the league, failing to find the back of the net in 10 appearances.
After additional loan spells at Ajax and Championship club Charlton, Sanogo was released by Arsenal in the summer of 2017. He returned to France, signing with Ligue 1 club Toulouse, where he experienced a more successful first season, scoring nine goals in all competitions.
However, Sanogo couldn’t replicate that form in the following two seasons, and his career took another downturn with a brief and disappointing stint at Huddersfield Town during the 2020/21 campaign.
Yaya Sanogo’s career took an unexpected path after leaving Arsenal. In 2023, after being without a club for 18 months, the French striker signed with Urartu of the Armenian Premier League. He made an impressive debut, scoring two goals, but an injury in his second game kept him sidelined for two months. Despite his limited playing time, Sanogo still contributed to the team’s Armenian Premier League title win, although he didn’t play enough matches to receive a medal.
He also appeared in the Armenian Super Cup but was on the losing side. During the 2023/24 season, Sanogo scored four goals for Urartu before moving to Chinese second-tier club Qingdao Red Lions. In his first season with Qingdao, Sanogo scored six goals in 19 appearances, even though the team was battling relegation.
Sanogo spoke positively about his move to China, despite never having visited before. He expressed that it was an easy decision, recalling a positive experience from a 2009 tournament in Asia. Qingdao manager Sun Xinbo praised Sanogo for his dedication and importance to the young squad, emphasizing the club’s high expectations for him.
