Emmanuel Eboue Departs For Galatasaray; Carlos Vela Goes On Loan

Fullback Emmanuel Eboue has been transfered to Turkish club Galatasaray for a fee believed to be in the region of £3.5 million to £4 million. Eboue, who could play a multitude of positions, including right back, left back, right wing, and in a pinch, central midfield, departs after 6 years and 214 appearances. With his departure, the last remaining starter from the side that faced Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League final are now all gone, a remarkable turnover in players.

Eboue was a popular figure with many fans, and was, by all accounts, a bit crazy. He had some excellent performances for the club, but, sadly, will be remembered by many for the concession of a 100th minute penalty against Liverpool, unnecessarily bundling over Lucas Leiva, which ended Arsenal's title hopes, and when he was booed off the pitch in an awful appearance against Wigan. There, were, however, many good things from his time at Arsenal; his goal against Porto, which was a wonderful counter attack, stands out. However, with defensive mistakes aplenty and Carl Jenkinson seemingly ahead of him in the depth chart, Eboue became surplus to requirements, and becomes the third first teamer to depart this summer, following Gael Clichy and Cesc Fabregas. Eboue, though, is one of the good guys, and hopefully he gets solid playing time in Turkey. 

Update: Arsenal have also confirmed that Carlos Vela and Pedro Botelho will go on loan to Spain. Vela, who wasn't on the bench last weekend, has gone to Real Sociedad, while Botelho, a left footed player that can play at left back or left wing, has gone to newly promoted Rayo Vallecano.