First the cull, then the repercussions. After 15 youngsters saw their careers at the club come to an end last month, plans are now in place regarding how those players will be replaced.
One significant signing has already been made for the U18 squad, with highly-rated England U17 midfielder Dan Crowley completing his move to the club from Aston Villa last weekend. Crowley is certainly no stranger to the Arsenal coaching staff having almost single-handedly orchestrated Villa’s victory over the young Gunners in the Academy League at London Colney towards the end of last season.
The midfielder does not turn 16 until August but possesses vision and a sense of calm in possession that belie his years. It will be especially interesting to see how he is deployed during his first season at the club, with a range of other midfield talents- including Chuks Aneke, Gedion Zelalem, Kristoffer Olsson, Jon Toral and Jack Jebb also on the club’s books. It is expected that Crowley will commence in the U18s, but, should he impress sufficiently, could be elevated to the U21 set-up in the early months of the season.
French striker Yaya Sanogo is also expected to join, although once that deal is complete he is likely to take a place in the first-team squad, whilst, according to reports emanating from Italy last night, the club are also in talks to sign Aleksandar Mitrovic, an 18 year old Serbian striker who currently plays for Partizan Belgrade.
Add that to the impending deal to sign Barcelona defender Julio Pleguezuelo Selva, and the possible captures of several players who have been on trial with the club in recent months, and it appears that there could be several incomings as well as outgoings at youth level this summer.
The U21 squad could certainly do with a few more arrivals. At present, following the mass clear-out, there are only 19 players who would fall into that age group that are not still eligible for the U18s, and, with the likelihood of injuries, first-team call-ups and loans to follow, that number will tumble rapidly as the season progresses, meaning that further recruits are likely.
The club have also yet to confirm where the U21s will be playing the majority of their home games next season following Barnet’s decision to leave Underhill. There was speculation that Arsenal could buy Barnet’s old ground, or instead play their second-string games at Boreham Wood, but perhaps the best option would be to make use of Barnet’s impressive new facility in Edgware, The Hive, which has a playing surface comparable to that at Emirates Stadium.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
I would really hope that our Academy standards improve to such a level that we don’t need to buy youngsters from other academies. Nonetheless, Welcome Dan Crowley!
That doesn’t necessarily always work. A lot of these players go to academies nearer to home. Can’t always pick up Romford Peles through our Academy. It’s a bit like a public boarding school – the catchment area has to be international otherwise there’s not enough supply to meet demand.
@ Zorro in the box – I fully agree with your point. Although I feel training quality should be top notch to get the best out of kids aged 9-15. For that our youth development system should consist of really good coaches and staff.
Having said that, we are a club based out of London (largest city in the country), we do have a huge size of kids we could choose from. Also, obviously Arsenal need to start winning and build a brand which would attract kids to our club rather than Sp*rs, Chelsea and other London based clubs.
The thing is, London also has a lot more clubs to pull from a small talent pool. Spurs, Chelsea, Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham in the PL alone. Add to that QPR (lol), Watford, Charlton etc and there’s a lot of pull on those youngsters as to where to go. And it’s not so much about the quality of the brand, as a young footballer it may be better to go somewhere like Charlton and make the step up (Carl Jenkinson for example) rather than sit in Chelsea’s academy and know that you’re unlikely to ever make it in… Read more »
Talented youngsters are a limited commodity rather than something you can gradually produce more of.
Add to that that talent alone doesn’t suffice in any way to make it as a professional footballer, at a certain level they can all play aqnd it becomes a test of mental strength.
It’s nothing like a level playing field.
Barcelona’s La Masia has the whole of Catalonia at its disposal and then some.
Arsenal are competing with Sp*rs, Chelsea, West Ham, Fulham etc. … Watford etc. … Crystal Palace … Leyton Orient etc. … in London alone.
Anyone who thinks recruiting locally is going to work had better think again. Buying-in aged 16-18 is a good supplementary strategy.
Indeed, it’s part of why Villa have such a good youth setup; second biggest city in England and only one club to speak of, means a lot of talent to pick from.
The thing im worried about is that there are not enough academies who are following our lead and trying to bring through youth as well as buying someone established players. By the look of things Southampton have possibly the best success rate in bringing through players.
There should maybe more rules placed to increase home grown players within a squad and actual playing time rather than having teams like Chelsea and City who meet the bare minimum but not use them and serious fines so that they bother.
Academies don’t ‘produce’ talents, the best they can do is to discover them and make the most of their potential – Wilshere was at Luton until he was 9, Gibbs was at Wimbledon until he was 15, Beckham was at Spurs until he was 15, Giggs was at City until he was 14, Scholes joined at the same age etc. I remember Wenger saying some time ago that 11 or 12 years old is too late to ‘learn’ technique – the fundamental skills have to be there as early as that or it’ll be very difficult for the kid to… Read more »
Didn’t we just have a massive clear out of the last lot of superstars from the youth academy?
Welcome to Arsenal!
Sounds like quite a prospect. Looking forward to see what the coming signings will be like, there should be plenty of activity at this level.
these signings can be made later too..
wenger must secure jovetic or villa first…
You have a curious idea how these deals work. Do you really think it is Wenger personally who jets around the world, sitting on the negotiating table and concluding tranfers? Don’t you think we have, you know, staff for this, and that this staff consists of more than one person that is not Wenger?
whisper it quietly, but we have Dick Law and Order
wenger has nothing to do with the academy signing
Tidy little player. Skillful and fairly quick. Seems a fairly typical Arsenal player. One for the future and I wish him all the best with the Cannon now on his chest!
I can’t believe this is a summer I’m actually looking forward to in terms of Arsenal transfers!
😀
don’t jinx it :p
I predict that this crowley boy will boss it so much in the future you’ll think it’s a joke. also excited about mitrovich. he was partizans top scorer with 10 goals in 25 matches.
Good youth signing who will bode well for the future. now if we could only get those who’d help us here and now, that’d be great too….
@Weng(unn)er what an odd complaint. Any injection of talent into Arsenal at any level is a good thing, even Barca had to go out of there way to sign Messi from River Plate. Would you restrict our academy scouting to just London or just under 16s?
Yeah. On paper, this lad is a decent prospect but eventually, he’ll be phased out of Arsenal when he’s 20. Wenger doesn’t seem to know what his plan right now. Does he want to develop young players or does he continue playing with mediocre players like he has right now? With top 3 teams changing new managers, seems like Wenger is the old guard with the experience to make Arsenal the title contender this coming season but if continue’s procrastinating on signing quality players while at the some time continue whining about the financial might of other clubs, I think… Read more »
Youth development is like playing lottery, only a few make it irrespective of plans. We’re by all means not doing badly on that front, Gibbs, Wilshere, Sczesscny alls being first-choice, that’s a very good ratio. It’s not a one-way street anyways, one or the other extreme, you have to be flexible in many ways.
The competition in England and especially London is very, very big. Barcelona e.g. can jsut pick the ebst of the bunch form all of spain, which raises the chances of success.
Despite that, you can’t jsut go out and sign someone, it’s not a matter of time but negotions. Ever considered that maybe Jovetic himself is delaying signing for anyone to see what happens? Maybe Fiorentina is looking for more competition and thus higher bids?
Outlandish statements with little or no supporting facts, and the facts presented are flat-out false as well. I think you’re much better qualified to become a pundit on BBC than commenting out here in the wilderness. The footballing world at present truly needs brilliant footballing minds like yours.
Yeah Wenger must be swanning around Ibiza, looking for water slides.
Oh wait..
THE.WINDOW.ISN’T.OPEN.YET.
Relax, he’ll do a good job, like he always does.
“Why wait on signing Jovetic when we have the chance right now?”
Because it’s just that easy, isn’t it?
Of course! I mean in FIFA 13 I can sign Jovetic in 6 hours! Why can’t Wenger do that?
How does it take you six hours. Do your deals early. You’ve learnt nothing from the real world to take into the far more important Arsenal career mode.
Bloody Fiorentina don’t reply for 5 hours. Also, have to clear some funds from deadwood to afford the guy. See, I did learn something from the real world!
Youth players are alway hit or miss – there are many hundreds of 15-16 year olds playing football in London alone and I would guess only a handful have really got what it takes to perform at the level it would take to get a regular position in the first team. Especially when that team is Arsenal. And even when a player has come through the ranks and maybe even stood out performance wise it still doesn’t mean they will be good enough – but if they are then they WILL play. And I think you need to look up… Read more »
Wenger out. I’m just sick of duds like Cazorla, Nacho, Giroud and Podolski.
Mid-table signings.
Come on… Giroud is a top-table signing!
I read his comment as tongue in cheek since he started with Santi, who was obviously excellent business. Who knows though? Some of our fans are nuts
His tongue is firmly in cheek, NS. Yes, our fans are crazy and love a moan, but very few are stupid 🙂
Jeorge, would you mind naming a few of the youngsters we have on trial? And what clubs they’re from?
There was Jamaal Raage, who plays for Swedish club Brommapojkarna and Mads Thychosen, from Vejle BK in Denmark.
Brommapojkarna? now you’re just showing off!
Oooh I totally forgot about Mads. I’ve heard some great things about him.
Wasn’t there some Brazilian kid as well recently? Forgot the name though.
IT IS REALLY GUNNER BE A HOT SUMMER HERE AT THE EMIRATES!
To me, personally, this is just the beginning.
Now Come … the expertise in the field viz>> Higuain and the likes of possibly Villa!
Ok lads, Wenger knows exactly what to do, its up to the players if they want to come. We do need to sign some top notch players, another left back and an absolute machine in the holding midfield role.but at the same time we need to have English players coming through and that is a problem all over the country. Wenger has a philosophy, and its served us well, until he leaves, get behind him. Otherwise go and watch barnet!!!
Why do we need another left back? 2 first teamers with reserves as backup should be enough
Bang on!
Given that no.1 LB is an England international (though he has two senior players ahead of him) and no.2 is a Spanish international (though he has a more attacking player ahead of him) and no.3 is a Brazilian international, who exactly would we be buying? Lahm?
Glad to see this young lad come over. Will be a top talent in the future no doubt and this time the media weren’t able to add their ‘will he/won’t he/Wenger’s signing potential again’ twist because we all know how good Crowley already is.
Pleased to see us secure this kid, do we have to compensate Villa?
Bit harsh on thumbs down, only asking g a question. I don’t think we need to as he hadn’t signed professional contract but I might be wrong
i’m going off for a little cry…
Say what you like about Arsenal’s transfer policy, but I’ll always get excited about youth transfers. Who knows which one of these names might strike an 89th minute winner in the Champions League final for the Arsenal, and write their names into the history books. I’d just be interested to see their style of play and how I develops, which ones have the appetite to carve a career for themselves in the upper echelons of the footballing world. It’s good to see, and hopefully we can get an academy going to rival the one of 6-7 years back. Only with… Read more »
[…] While after the cull, the youth ranks are restored […]
I know, I know youtube compilations can make Gabriel Obertan look like a world beater but this lad looks absolute quality. I think the clips are all taken from just a few games and his touch and vision look phenomenal. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtcUoN1460k
What’s up friends, good article and nice arguments commented here, I am actually enjoying by these.
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