Serge Gnabry has gone from being the Arsenal reject and not getting a game at West Brom to the biggest star in Germany.
Winger Gnabry, 24, was voted Player of the Year for Bayern Munich last season and has realised his full potential in the Bundesliga after struggling in English football.
Gnabry was a big prospect in Germany but could not establish himself at Arsenal , was loaned to West Brom and discarded as not being good enough by Tony Pulis before eventually ending up at Bayern via Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen.
Bayern boss Niko Kovac believes Gnabry had to take a step backwards to make the grade but Arsenal face him in the United States in the International Champions Cup pre-season tournament knowing they have let a gem slip away.
Kovac said: “It is hard for young players, he was young when he went to the UK, England to play for Arsenal and it is a strong league so for any young player it is difficult to prevail and to make it in such a strong league but this is what you have to go through.
“I think he has had a positive development. Everyone can see that. But sometimes for younger players it is better first to do a step back, going to Bremen and then Hoffenheim and then to us, than to do two steps ahead.
“To be stronger, return even stronger and this is I think a normal process of a young player, what he should go through but we can see he has had a great development and he has increased and has been showing great performances since then.”
