Arsene Wenger has expressed his sadness after Abou Diaby left the club this summer.

The France international suffered a string of serious injuries during his time at Arsenal and departed after his contract expired.

“It’s one of the saddest moments for us at Arsenal not to have had the opportunity to get the best out of Abou Diaby because of injury,” Wenger told Arsenal Player.

ADVERT

“I’m very sad because this boy is a massive and a huge talent. It’s sad as well because he didn’t deserve what he got. It’s sad as well because he’s a very serious player.

“He was always at home every night, prepared well every day and was not rewarded. I hope he will be rewarded somewhere else in the final years of his career.

“He was the closest to Patrick Vieira we have seen here, with even a good offensive potential. In France, he’s regarded highly because every time he played in the French national team he made a difference. It is very sad.”