I was Arsene Wenger’s chief scout at Arsenal – forgotten star could have been next Patrick Vieira if he’d stayed fit
EX-ARSENAL player-turned- scout Gilles Grimandi has opened up about his time at the club.
The Frenchman made 169 appearances for the Gunners from 1997 to 2002, and won two Premier League titles.
He joined the Gunners as a scout in 2006 after being linked with the director of football position after the club’s relocation to the Emirates.
The 53-year-old revealed he regularly spoke to Arsene Wenger about his team’s performance and about ideal players to come in.
And during his second-spell of employment, Grimandi looked to strike a deal for Kylian Mbappe when the forward was 14 and playing for AS Bondy.
But Grimandi claims that he frequently thinks about what could have been for another forgotten player.
He exclusively told Ladbrokes’ Fanzone: “The one player who I think about a lot, who didn’t make it at the club in the way I hoped was Abou Diaby.
“He was a special talent, who did represent Arsenal 180 times over 10 years, but his body was not ready for the high level of the English game.
“I really think he could have been a top, top player, similar to the level of Patrick Vieira.
“It’s just a shame for him because I felt if he could have stayed fit, he could have been a very top player at the club.”
FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS & NEW CUSTOMER BONUSES
Diaby suffered 42 injuries during his time with the north London side.
He returned to his homeland in 2015 in an attempt to resurrect his career at Marseille.
However, he only managed to feature in four matches in his first season at the club and retired in 2019.
Despite Diaby’s failure to reach his full potential, Grimandi revealed he was most proud of bringing Bacary Sagna to the club.