Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has expressed his disappointment at the decision to dispense of the services of scouting guru Francis Cagigao.
Arsenal have been hit hard financially by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and in the summer the decision was made taken to make 55 people redundant.
The scouting department at the Emirates was impacted the most with a number of exits including that of Cagigao.
Cagigao was instrumental in the signings of Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cazorla, Hector Bellerin, Emiliano Martinez and Jose Antonio Reyes over the years and well respected within the industry.
Cagigao joined the club early on in Wenger's reign at Arsenal and had the trust and faith of the Frenchman.
And Wenger has expressed his shock at Cagigao's exit, claiming the decision could not have been due to financial reasons.
"Yes, because Cagigao did outstanding work," he told the Guardian.
"I was amazed but what is the real reason?
"Certainly it was not financial because we spent a lot of money after that.
"I don’t know if you put the wages together of these 55 people that you can buy a player with it."
Another major exit from Arsenal was that of beloved mascot Gunnersaurus.
Jerry Quy, who had worn the outfit since 1993, was also let go after the club determined he was not needed due to fans being unable to attend matches.
