Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has left Arsenal for nothing just 18 months after signing a new deal, at which time he declared he wanted to leave his mark in north London.
The Gabon international secured a deadline day move to Barcelona.
A loan move looked to be on the cards before the Gunners chose to let him go for free.
Aubameyang had been frozen out since mid-December following a disciplinary breach - which wasn't the first time his conduct had landed him in hot water.
The exit serves as a huge u-turn on the player's pledge to Arteta when he signed a new three-year deal in the summer of 2020.
Aubameyang had been pivotal for the Gunners, helping them win the FA Cup, and told his manager that he wanted to be among the world's elite stars.
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Arteta said previously: “It was important for Pierre-Emerick to stay with us. He’s a superb player with an incredible mentality.
"Being the player to have taken the least amount of time to reach 50 goals with this club tells you everything you need to know about him and his way of working.
"He’s an important leader for the team and a big part of what we’re building.
"He wants to be up there with the best players in the world and leave his mark. He can achieve that here.”
Aubameyang's new contract coincided with a notable downturn in form.
Last season the 32-year-old scored 15 times in all competitions - his lowest full season total since moving to the club in 2018.
This term he had scored just four Premier League goals before being overlooked for selection.
After Aubameyang signed his new deal Arsenal's Technical director, Edu, said: “It’s clear Auba loves the club and everything we stand for on and off the pitch.
"He’s obviously a very important part of the team so we’re all delighted he has committed his future to us."
The decision to let him leave has copped criticism, even if the striker was being frozen out at the Emirates.
Alexandre Lacazette has taken up the role as the club's central striker in Aubameyang's absence, but his contract expires this summer.
Eddie Nketiah too is free to leave in a matter of months and was the subject of a failed bid from Crystal Palace.
Arsenal had spent much of the January window being linked with Dusan Vlahovic, only to see him remain in Italy and join Juventus last week.
