It is truly amazing the amount of young up-and-coming talent coming through at Arsenal, and there are already many of them out on loan in the lower divisions. But the latest loan deals are set to be the coming-of-age season for three of our most promising young talent.
Earlier this week it as announced that Chuba Akpom and Isaac Hayden would both be going to try and set the Championship on fire with Hull City, and today it has been confirmed that the talented German Serge Gnabry is set to join Tony Pulis at West Brom. The 20 year-old broke into the Gunners first team the year before last but his development was stalled due to a long term injury. Now he’s fully fit again we can look forward to some impressive displays for the Baggies.
I have very high hopes for both Hayden, who I saw in live action last season, and Chuba Akpom to become first team stars in the future so they will have to make sure they make their mark at Hull. Arsene Wenger is also hopeful they will prove their potential. He said on Arsenal.com: “There is a moment in your career where you are not anymore for youth level and not ready for the Premier League,”
“I think in this period in English football, we lose players, because we have nothing really on the competition front to offer them. They’ve already played for two or three years in the under-21s and they don’t feel they move forward anymore if they don’t play in the first team.
“They are ready to play in a senior team and I believe that Championship level is a very good terminal stage of the education of a player.
“Unfortunately we cannot do it for everybody because not everybody can play in the Championship. I think it’s a great experience at the end of the education of a player, before he plays in the Premier League and for Arsenal.”
I can see all three of these youngsters being big stars so I will be following their development with interest. I hope Akpom doesn’t score goals for fun and then get sold off for a pittance, like Benik Afobe!