Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are two of the finest players Arsenal have produced from their academy in recent times, with both having featured for the senior team.
Although Arsenal have one of the best academies in the world, it remains difficult for young players to establish themselves in the first team. Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly therefore deserve significant credit for fighting their way into Mikel Arteta’s plans despite facing competition from a squad filled with experienced and expensive players.
Youngsters Face Competition for Places
Arteta is doing his best to ensure the team remains in top form, while the squad contains many quality players with greater experience than Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly. This contributed to their limited playing time last term.
Nwaneri spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Olympique Marseille, and the attacker could be sent out on loan again. Arsenal have several top players in their current squad and will be looking to perform well and retain the league title, meaning both youngsters could again struggle for regular opportunities.
This has led to suggestions that Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly could leave the club. However, Arsenal’s CEO Richard Garlick has addressed their futures and made it clear that the club are not actively seeking to sell either player.
Arsenal Open to Suitable Opportunities
Garlick also acknowledged that other clubs are interested in the youngsters and that Arsenal will consider opportunities if they benefit everyone involved. He said to BBC Sport:
“I can’t stop other clubs being interested. I think Myles has had a fantastic end to last season and has started this one really well, we’re very, very happy with him.
“Ethan has had a great pre-season as well and I think it’s just a case of looking at what opportunities there are that will help both of those in terms of their career moving forward. We are not actively looking at selling those homegrown players but if the right opportunity came up, right for them and the club, we’d obviously consider that.”
The comments suggest Arsenal remain committed to both players while recognising that regular football could be important for their development. A loan move could therefore be considered if it provides the right opportunity, particularly for Nwaneri after his experience at Olympique Marseille.
For now, Arsenal appear keen to retain control over the futures of both academy products. Their performances have impressed the club, and the Gunners will continue to assess how best to help them develop while competing for major honours.
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What is it with coaches, like Arteta. Local talent not good enough, ( Rice the exception) he has to splurge millions on Spanish and German players that ( often) are average at best.
Arteta has destroyed more players careers than he has nurtured.
Not sure the CEO of The Arsenal Football Club should make such a statement. Tomorrow we wonder why we can’t sell well to save our lives.
They should not be for sale, especially MLS
Apparently Arteta has stated that MLS is 100% staying
MLS should stay no matter what
We sold Emily it hurt
We sold gnabry
We sold Chamberlin
Balogun
Walback
Hutchinson
We sell cheaply purchase expensively
We need to develop our own academy young stars otherwise we agree that our system has some deficiencies