When Arsène Wenger signed Santi Cazorla in the summer of 2012, few thought much about it. Six years later he left Arsenal as one of the manager's biggest signings and one of the fans' most loved players. And he could have been so much more.
That same summer of 2012, Robin van Persie was set to leave for Manchester United and all anyone cared about was who would be signed to replace him. Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud were ultimately given the unenviable task.
Considering the Dutchman ultimately led United to the title and scored more goals than Podolski and Giroud combined, this could very well have been considered a bad transfer window.
Thanks almost entirely to the signing of Cazorla for what now seems an absolute bargain at £15 million, it would go down as one of Wenger's best.
The first task for any new signing is to win over the fans of their new club. Podolski and Giroud failed to do so on their debuts as both were unable to find the back of the net in a 0-0 draw against Sunderland, but Cazorla made an immediate impact.
With Alex Song signing for Barcelona and injuries sidelining Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere, the Spaniard was tasked with being the team's captain.
He rose to the challenge and created numerous chances that his teammates were unable to convert, earning Man of the Match.
After Arsenal suffered another goalless draw against Stoke, Cazorla adopted the age-old philosophy: if you want something done, do it yourself.
In the next match, against Liverpool, he claimed his first assist, putting the ball on a plate for Podolski. More than half an hour later he got on the scoresheet himself with the help of a howler from compatriot Pepe Reina. Not that he cared.
Three games later he had already achieved a goal, an assist and a Man of the Match award. Not too shabby.
If you want to earn the unconditional love of the Arsenal faithful, there are few better ways to do it than by taking on their rivals, and that's exactly what Cazorla did next.
First he scored a beauty at Old Trafford. He then followed it up with a goal and an assist, the latter of which was glorious, in the North London derby two weeks later.
Other highlights of his first season included a hat-trick against Reading, a double against Aston Villa and four assists in a crucial match against Wigan which earned them Champions League football. b
By the end he had played in all 38 games, scored twelve goals and provided fourteen assists and was unsurprisingly named Arsenal's Player of the Season.
Had he played in a better side, he would undoubtedly have made the league's Team of the Season and even been in contention for the Best Player award.
Unfortunately, getting carried away with his team's struggles would become a recurring theme for the man nicknamed The Magician at the Emirates.
Cazorla had filled the number 10 role in his first season at Arsenal. However, Mezut Ozil's arrival ahead of the next campaign meant he had to adapt to different roles to stay in the team. No problem.
An ankle injury kept him out at the start of the season, but three games after his return he scored his second goal against Liverpool to remind everyone what he was capable of. Although it took him some time to feel comfortable in his new position, by the turn of the year he had gotten the hang of it.
Three games into 2013 he put in a glorious performance against Fulham, scoring two goals, one with each foot. It drove ArsenalFanTV wild and left people desperate to find out if he had a stronger foot. We still don't know.
He could do little to prevent Arsenal's classic capitulation, which ended their title hopes. However, he at least ensured they would finish back in their favored position of fourth, with an assist in four of their last five games.
Furthermore, he was crucial in the FA Cup triumph that ended the nine-year trophy drought.
He scored his second North London derby goal in the opening round and followed that up with another against Coventry, but the undisputed highlight was his *ridiculous* goal in the final.
He had already taken Arsenal there by scoring the winning penalty in the semi-final shoot-out against Wigan. Now they were 2-0 down against Hull and on the verge of letting him down again. He didn't have it.
He stood at a free kick, stepped up and sent the ball into the far corner, sparking the comeback. It was one of the best goals Wembley has ever seen and one of the most important in Arsenal's recent history.
In his first season he was a number 10, and in his second he was a winger. Year number three at the Emirates saw Cazorla take on another new role, and it's the role that really made us, and so many others, fall in love with him.
Since the departure of Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal have longed for a playmaker who could dictate play and single-handedly drive the team forward. Many had hoped Wilshere would take things further, but unfortunately he spent more time on the injury table than on the pitch.
Step forward, Santi.
After a decent first half of the season playing further forward, he took to the deeper position like a proverbial duck to water in what was perhaps his best ever performance in an Arsenal shirt against Manchester City.
The club had a notoriously poor record against big teams, so even their own fans expected them to lose. This pessimism grew when it emerged that Wenger had assembled his team with Francis Coquelin and Cazorla in defensive midfield.
What was he thinking? Cazorla couldn't defend and Coquelin was, well, not very good.
What followed was an absolute masterclass in counter-attacking football, and Cazorla was at the heart of it. Not only was he deadly in dead-ball situations, scoring a penalty and getting an assist from a free kick, but he was also good at just about everything.
He could pass, he could dribble, he could even tackle. It was exactly the type of performance Arsenal had been crying out for, so it was no surprise that Wenger kept him in that role.
There he was just as impressive in the next match, getting a goal and two assists against Aston Villa.
He continued to manage matters for his side until the end of the season, which once again ended with Arsenal winning the FA Cup and nothing else, and the rest of the country therefore failing to recognize Santi Cazorla's class.
Still, things were looking up. The club had won two trophies in two years, they looked deadly with Ozil and Alexis Sánchez, and Cazorla had found the perfect role for them and himself. What can go wrong?
After three years, Cazorla had become an important player at the club. If they could achieve more success, he would definitely become a legend.
And then the injuries came.
The first struck in November 2015 when, after starting the season in excellent form, a knee injury ruled him out until the final game of the campaign.
In October of the following season he damaged his Achilles tendon and underwent eight operations. This was followed by a gangrene infection that was so severe that amputation was required.
Eventually it was resolved, but the problem was still not resolved. Further surgery was required, ruling him out of the 2017/2018 season.
With his contract coming to an end, the club opted not to renew it, and his time in London was over. It was undoubtedly a successful spell, but we can't help but wonder: what if?
What if he had been part of a team as good and successful as the one of the late 1990s and early 2000s?
Well, he may have joined the elite group of true club legends, along with Henry, Bergkamp and Adams, who have achieved true immortality.
What if he hadn't been plagued by what Arsene Wenger described as the worst injury he had ever seen?
Judging by how good he was at Villarreal once he finally recovered, it's fair to say he could have and would have remained Arsenal's best player for many years to come, continuing to run the show week in, week out.
Instead, he is remembered as a fan favorite who didn't have weak feet, was deadly from a set-piece and was just a really nice guy.
Sure, it's a shame, but considering he laughs more in a minute than Roy Keane does in his entire life, we're pretty sure it's enough for him.
By Finley Crebolder
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