Nacho Monreal departed Arsenal on the eve of the latest North London Derby, signing a two-year deal with La Liga outfit Real Sociedad.
Monreal departure leaves startling statistic
The 33-year-old started the opening three games of the Premier League season, captaining the side against Burnley.
However, he has fallen out of favour of late, struggling to provide the consistency and quality Arsenal desperately need in the full-back areas. Indeed, the summer arrival of Kieran Tierney and the returning Hector Bellerin are set to fuel competition in the wide areas, leaving Monreal in a precarious position.
His move means that Mesut Ozil now has the most Premier League appearances of any member of the Arsenal squad. The German playmaker is yet to feature for a single minute this season as questions continue to be raised over his application and commitment to tracking back defensively, with last season clouded by issues over injuries, sickness and being out of favour with Unai Emery.
Out of favour Ozil is now Arsenal's most capped player in Premier League
The summer arrival of talented Dani Ceballos has only fuelled the situation Ozil now finds him in; albeit a talented creator on his day, a lack of consistency in delivery has been Arsenal's biggest problem in recent times and the Gunners would appear to function as much more compact side without him.
Yet, he currently holds the record for most appearances in England's top-flight, totalling 166 games. Before leaving the club, Monreal had amassed 187 appearances while Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey are all long-standing players who have recently left the club.
Incidentally, Ozil is also the longest serving member of the first-team squad. The German will be hoping his fortunes change over the next few weeks, with a potential start against Tottenham at the weekend offering a golden opportunity for him to make his mark in the 2019/20 season.