The 2013 off-season was quite tumultuous for Arsenal supporters. Before the start of the transfer window, many of the club's youth players were sold or left the club. Previous Arsenal record transfer fee holder Andrey Arshavin went back to Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg, and Denílson to São Paulo and Sébastien Squillaci were some of the bigger name players to leave on free transfers. Despite the club's promised ambitions to make big signings, Arsenal had only captured the signature of 20-year-old Frenchman Yaya Sanogo from Auxerre.