Striker Edu rejected in 2022 could now haunt Arsenal in the Champions League, he could’ve replaced Aubameyang

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Arsenal are back in the Champions League in midweek, and face off against a star who could’ve played for them.

The Gunners have overseen plenty of change under Mikel Arteta, with a squad that transformed from mid-table struggles to Premier League title contenders.

There was a time when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the face of the project for the future, but that all came to an end in 2022.

While there was uncertainty surrounding how well Arsenal would cope without him, several options arrived, including one star who will now face them in the Champions League.

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Arsenal were offered Mehdi Taremi in 2022, now he faces them with Olympiacos

Rewinding to January 2022 and Arsenal were gripped by yet more drama in the early years of Mikel Arteta’s reign.

A tough decision was made to release Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang early from his deal, despite his importance on the team.

Several options appeared to replace the striker, with CBS Sports reporting that Mehdi Taremi was offered to the club on loan.

Edu Gaspar and Arteta were both open to signing another forward, but ended up rejecting Taremi, as well as a host of other players.

Now, over three years on, the forward could now look to haunt the Gunners in the Champions League.

The 33-year-old joined Olympiacos from Inter Milan over the summer, hopeful of recapturing some of his best form while in Greece.

While he could’ve joined Arsenal, he could now sink them in Europe, as the Gunners play host to Taremi and his side in the second league phase match of the season.

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Mehdi Taremi’s record vs Arsenal

The clash between Arsenal and Olympiacos will be the third chance for Taremi to line up against the North London club in his career.

He has one win, one defeat in those meetings, with the latest match ending in a 1-0 win for Inter Milan against the Gunners in last season’s league phase.

Taremi is yet to score or assist against Arsenal, but he isn’t the only familiar face who will take them on.

Daniel Podence, formerly of Wolves, is also at Olympiacos, and he could feature in the match.

Gelson Martins, who played for Sporting CP, Atletico Madrid and Monaco, is there too, along with Roman Yaremchuk, who played for Benfica, Valencia and Club Brugge.