Arsenal selling academy players is a part of the game and not the end of the road
As the Gunners Hale End academy players go through the ranks, they all dream of playing with the first team. That dream may not come true, and they have to embrace the reality that they may not play for the Arsenal. They have to move on and find greener pastures elsewhere. For the club, these players may not fit the system yet, or at all in the future, but they can move these players on, and they can get an opportunity to succeed elsewhere, like Joe Willock and Gnabry.
With the likes of Patino, Norton-Cuffy and Balogun having good loan spells, they are great assets that can be moved on, and probably at a good price, especially Balogun. Players like Miguel Azeez, Omar Rekik with other subpar loan spells may struggle to find a new club, but will find a place to land eventually. For Arsenal, the aim is to sell players that are old enough to play first team football, to clear space for the younger academy players ready to move up, and to generate funds to train the upcoming youngsters.
The Hale End has been producing a lot of talent, and it is no different for the next generation of academy players. The likes of Ethan Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly and Rosiak are ready to move up to the next level. Arsenal should be able to move on the older academy players for the players to progress and for the reserve team to build with new talent.
Academy players moving on is a part of the game. If there are no opportunities at the Emirates, they should be allowed to thrive elsewhere. When they do find success elsewhere, it does not stop them from returning to the Emirates.
We the fans, take pride of former players when they do well wherever they are, because they will always be Arsenal through and through.
Vuyo Mataka
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Some hot prospects may get better offers elsewhere. Arsenal also got Fabregas and Martinelli from other clubs
Patino will leave, but Balogun still has the opportunity to impress in pre-season. I just hope we’ll get good sale money from our youngsters, as we did from Iwobi and Willock
Players must come from an academy somewhere or other. The idea is that some will come good and represent us at the highest level, and others will move on to pastures new for some sort of fee. It is the way of the world
SueP, did you see my rather late response to you last night (re:Xhaka) ? I wasn’t sure if it was you who I could hear snoring, but I sent it at 11.46 (I think) on the off chance that you may still be on-line. Ofcourse you may have been in the land of Nod by then.
I read it EvGunner
You’re not my husband are you?😊
SueP, if I were, you’d know about it !
All joking aside, Xhaka is nice looking though isn’t he. His wife reminds me of my elder sister in her heyday. Do you ever wish Marge would come back ? I miss her thoughtful messages but I think she got the hump with someone and went off in a huff.
It’s a funny thing, Marge just gets straight to the point – no prisoners taken and others hedge their bets. It refreshing to read a person who is confident in their points of view Let’s see what happens over the weekend
Patino is talented but looks lightweight for the premier league.
Balogan on the other hand is almost premier league ready next season and is a goal poacher which we do not have apart from Nketiah. I feel he needs a short 6 month loan spell and then join us in Jan for the final push next season which allows us to push Jesus to the wings or CF depending on the opposition.
IGL, I do not actually disagree about Balogun but what you propose is hardly what you could call “proper planning” .
We need to decide THIS summer , not next JANUARY, who is going to be our prime and long term central striker . Like many others, I appreciate Jesus and his workrate BUT he is NOT a specialist striker and nor is he a reliable goal scorer, so IMO, we need better than him as our main central striker. The problem with versatile interchangeable forwards who can all play many forward positions is that OFTEN there is no one right in the middle at key moments, unlike City who have HAARLAND ALWAYS IN PRIME POSITION.
That positional imbalance costs us goals IMO.
Call IGL by his chosen name.
EvGunner I assume and hope you are joking?
It is standard procedure on JA to use initials for a longer name, just as I am cool to be called JF. But “Foxy” is not my name, nor my initials. I hoped you understood that!
I used the name that I used as a term of endearment. It also has a sexy ring to it ! However don’t want to utter anything offensive to anyone either on this site or in the real world, so I respect your wishes.
“This Nearly Was Mine” – South Pacific.. Almost operatic.
Incidentally Fred Astaire is also one of my heroes. Greatest all-round entertainer ever of all.
Dancer, choreographer, singer, song writer, actor, comedian, sharp dresser. During the summer I walk around with a neckerchief just like my beloved Fred used to do.
EvGunner I sang that very song this morning in rehearsal. And it is among my favourites from older musicals.
More emotive and musically richer than Some Enchanted Evening, the other baritone stand out song from South Pacific.
As for Fred Astaire, he was certainly a legendary dancer, a great choreograther and just a pleasant lightweight singer, though well short of top class.
As an actor too, not top class, though acceptable in lightweight roles.
He was also a demanding perfectionist and worked ferocoiusly hard at all his craft.
But overall, DEFINITELY a true showbiz legend.
sorry there’s a reply from me further down the page.
For Jon
You have got a fair point. The only problem with it is that if you get a specialist striker, it may well create a blockage of pathway for Balogan and Jesus. This may lead to dressing room imbalance and the group harmony.
So whilst not perfect, stick with Jesus/Nketiah till Jan and then have Balogan from Jan as freshness is required. He is very different.
This season, we needed freshening up as many of our first 11 have been tiring. That is where I felt MA missed a trick by not rotating and playing Trossard, Tierney and Jorginho a lot more and giving rest to players like Saka, Xhaka and Zinchenko who all look tired at key points in the season.
His singing and acting were not comparable with the greatest singers and actors, but as an all-round performer who could do everything he is peerless. As you know, he was a household name for a lifetime, but it is remarkable how many people living today have never heard of him, and I’m not just talking about the kids. There are forty and fifty year olds I have encountered who haven’t a clue about him.
I only have one Sammy Davis Jr album, but he should also be considered to be a performer who could do it all, and in his case at a time in history which made it difficult for perforrmers of his race. I know, one could say there is only one race, the Human Race. .
These coincidences that keep cropping up seem rather remarkable to me. For you to be singing that song today is a,lost unbelievable. I bet there are many people on this site who will never know how much they have in common with each other. We only know these things about each other because of our blabber-mouths.
Marge and I had some coincidences going on too.
It depends on what these lads want, some like Nketiah are happy to be a squad player here others will want to be first choice elsewhere, good luck to them
Admin Pat, better research please. Balogun and Norton-Cuffy have done well but Patino has just been relegated. Granted he has gained valuable experience but it must be tempered with the club outcome. Patino is a great guy and can have a great career (not yet at premier league level) but relegation is not success for a player or the club.
@G4life
The fact that a 19 year-old can go straight into a Championship team and play 32 League games in his first ever season in competitive football, is what I would call a success