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Five Arsenal players who may regret not leaving on transfer deadline day

Transfer deadline day was mainly about outgoings for Arsenal, but it was also notable for the players who stayed.

While Jack Wilshere was allowed to go on loan to Bournemouth in search of regular football -- like Calum Chambers to Middlesbrough the previous day -- and Serge Gnabry was sold permanently to Werder Bremen, Arsene Wenger decided to keep several players who may struggle to get on the pitch this season.

Here's a look at five players who may have also benefited from going elsewhere -- and why they didn't.

Mathieu Debuchy

The France right-back is facing another season as the backup to 21-year-old Hector Bellerin after failing to negotiate a move away from the Emirates this summer. Debuchy left for a loan move to Bordeaux in January in order to earn a spot in France's Euro 2016 squad only to miss out because of an injury, and is now carrying a new knock going into the season. That may have scared off potential suitors, although a move in January is still a possibility if Carl Jenkinson returns from a long-term injury.

Kieran Gibbs

Like Debuchy, Gibbs finds himself as a second-choice full-back, behind Nacho Monreal, and his chances of making the England team would probably have increased if he had moved to another Premier League club. But letting Gibbs go would have left Wenger without a proper backup to Monreal, and the Arsenal academy product still wants to fight for his place at the club. He is likely to be used in the domestic cups this season and offers Wenger a good insurance policy if anything happens to Monreal.

Chuba Akpom

The 20-year-old striker impressed in preseason with four goals but is unlikely to feature in Wenger's plans after the arrival of £17m striker Lucas Perez from Deportivo this week. Having spent last season on loan at Hull, Akpom could have benefitted from more first-team football as he still has plenty to learn. But barring a major injury crisis, he now faces the prospect of playing mainly with the under-23s and making a few appearances in the EFL Cup. The club still has hopes for the homegrown player, who joined the Hale End academy at age of six, but he remains some way from a major breakthrough.

Yaya Sanogo

Sanogo's future at Arsenal remains unclear and the picture has been further muddled by another injury that has kept him out for much of the summer. The 23-year-old striker was thrown straight into the first-team after he was signed on a free transfer in 2013 but his progress has stalled since, with a series of unsuccessful loan moves behind him. Fitness concerns probably prevented another loan -- or permanent sale -- but he may not have had that many suitors even if fit. The chances of Sanogo ever being a regular player for Arsenal look increasingly small.

David Ospina

The Colombia goalkeeper had been heavily linked with a move away from the club after losing his starting spot to Petr Cech, but Wenger has managed to keep hold of a player he still rates very highly. While Cech remains key to Arsenal's hopes of winning the Premier League, having an experienced international as a backup probably helps Wenger sleep a bit easier. But for how long will Ospina be happy sitting on the bench? Wenger tried using him as his cup goalkeeper last season -- including in the Champions League -- but had to restore Cech in Europe after a major blunder against Olympiakos. Unless he gets a similar chance this season, it wouldn't be surprising to see more suitors come in for Ospina in January.