• Premier League

Arsenal release Arshavin, Squillaci and Denilson

ESPN staff
June 5, 2013
Andrey Arshavin made just 11 appearances for Arsenal last season © Getty Images
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Arsenal will release Andrey Arshavin, Denilson and Sebastien Squillaci when their contracts expire at the end of June.

The trio's contracts expire on June 30, 2013, at which point they will be free agents.

"Andrey Arshavin, Denilson and Sebastien Squillaci will leave the club when they come to the end of their contracts on June 30," the club said in a statement. "Arsenal would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their contribution and wish them well for the future."

Former Russian player of the year Arshavin quickly became a crowd favourite at the Emirates after joining from Zenit St Petersburg in 2009, declaring "I am Gooner" and scoring all four goals in a 4-4 draw with Liverpool just two months after joining the club.

He enjoyed two impressive seasons with the club, scoring 22 goals and producing 24 assists over the following two seasons. But with questions about his work rate and his form fading, the former Russian captain found first-team opportunities increasingly rare.

Arshavin returned to Zenit on loan for the end of the 2011-12 season, but returned to north London for one final campaign after failing to secure a permanent move back to Russia. He made a further 11 appearances for the Gunners during the last campaign.

Squillaci failed to muscle his way in to the heart of the Arsenal defence following an error-strewn spell alongside Laurent Koscienly while Thomas Vermaelen was sidelined during the 2010-11 season. The arrival of Per Mertesacker in the summer of 2011 left him as manager Arsene Wenger's fourth-choice centre-back, and he made just seven more appearances for the club.

Denilson has spent the past two seasons on loan at his first club, Sao Paulo, after announcing his intention to leave Arsenal and return to Brazil in May 2011.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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