Serge Gnabry's "always a Gunner" comments as he sports Arsenal shirt once again

Serge Gnabry may have left Arsenal six years ago but still has a deep connection to the Emirates, as displayed by his recent Instagram post.

The 26-year-old spent five years with the Gunners but left for pastures new after failing to cement a place in the first team, ultimately joining Bayern Munich in a move that has seen his career soar.

But despite his struggles in north London, Gnabry remains an Arsenal fan and recently sported a rendition of their 1992 home kit in an Instagram post of him wearing a number of retro shirts.

While the Germany international has won a host of titles since departing the Emirates six years ago, including one Champions League, he has not hidden his love for the Gunners.

And that was best highlighted in a 2019 interview with Pro Direct in which Gnabry declared: "Always a Gunner."

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The winger added: "It was the hardest decision but I think it worked out well because I wanted to play. But as a club, Arsenal are top, top."

And when speaking to CBS Sports a year later, Gnabry reaffirmed his feelings, naming Arsenal as "the favourite" if he were to return to the Premier League.

Having hit double figures for goals in every season since, supporters may be left pondering why the club - then regularly competing for top honours and being a staple of of the Champions league - let such a talent leave?

Just £4.5million from Werder Bremen was enough to prise him away in 2016, with the transfer coming on the heels of a disastrous loan spell with West Bromwich Albion in which Gnabry made just one appearance and was sent back halfway through the season.

Tony Pulis was in charge of the Baggies at the time and after the ex-Gunner enjoyed a scintillating Champions League campaign in 2019-20, the Welshman was forced to admit his shock at Gnabry's turnaround.

"You could knock me over with a feather," Pulis told Sky Sports. "I'm amazed. We had him at West Brom, we took him on loan and we could never get him fit.

"He even got taken off in an Under-21 game and he went back to Arsenal and they sold him on. He was a nice kid, I didn't mind him at all and he's really fulfilled his potential.

"To have him at West Brom and seeing him do what he's done is absolutely amazing. When people show what they can really do and knuckle-down and become so good as he's done it's absolutely fantastic."

All Gnabry needed was one year at Werder and Bayern would snap him up the following summer for only £6.6million.

Now valued at almost £60million more than that, negotiations over a new contract in Bavaria are reportedly stalling, having entered the final 18 months of his current deal.

While West Brom would find it hard to bring him back to England, Arsenal might fancy their chances of pulling on his heartstrings.