Arsenal are set to add two more highly-rated youngsters to their Academy having already signed five youth prospects this summer.
French prospects Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Yassin Fortune, Romanian Vlad Dragomir, Cypriot Kostas Pileas and Jordi Osei-Tutu from Reading have already been recruited and Andries Jonker will further strengthen his set-up with 16-year-old Dutch striker Donyell Malen signing from Ajax and 17-year-old French attacker Ismael Bennacer [pictured above] joining from Arles-Avignon.
The former has already been pictured with Dick Law signing his contract at London Colney while the latter is due to put pen-to-paper on a five-year deal after snubbing Manchester City. Bennacer, who featured in Ligue 2 last season, had looked odds-on to move to the Etihad but appears to have had a late change of heart.
Arsenal’s under-21s currently ply their trade in the second tier of the Premier League’s youth league. The under-18s feature in the Southern Section of the Premier League. Both sides kick-off their respective new campaigns in just over two weeks.
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Tip of the cap to resident youth expert @jeorgebird for the info.
Jonkerball
Jonkerball! That’s bloody fantastic terminology!
Everything looks like it is going in the right direction. Theo’s contract signed and very few injuries next season and we have a great chance.
I cant wait for the Arsenal vs Celtic game today. Lucky for me, I have business to take care of in Durban. Its gonna be the first Arsenal game I will be seing in person. Got my Denilson 08/09 season jersey underneath my suit like superman. I dont care if its the U19s playing. Glad they are not playing Orlando Pirates or I would have been torn between my two teams. COYG and up the Bucs…..
Enjoy
Enjoy mate, would have loved to be there but you know… work, Jozi. Good luck to the young lads. COYG!
Will you give us a match report, please?
Coverage of the kids is so thin I didn’t even know we were playing. Is Dracula in the squad? Hope Celtic don’t kick us to bits.
Get in there Saffas https://www.facebook.com/groups/2939820547/
Hopefully these signings can help turn the fortunes of the U21s around, no excuse for a club of Arsenal’s size to have its oldest youth team at the bottom of the second tier. With all the exciting youth coming through the ranks at the club surely we should be doing better there, and getting the players some experience playing against the other top youth sides.
Here’s a great highlights video of Donyell Malen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mG57_bLsNA
From what I saw, his playing style and body language is similar to Thierry Henry. I know it’s too early but who knows.
Here we go again…
Seems more like Messi with some shades of Pele and maybe a hint of De Stefano. Let’s not give this kid any less than his due.
Issues being addressed at every level. We are well and truly back!
Yes, Shad and Jonker two excellent appointments, both already showing results. Massive credit to Gazidis.
enjoy
Still need to get some defensive signings. U18’s in desperate need of some new defenders if they want to win a game
Is that fatty with him Dick Law?
Or is it Benitez, as Maureen Yo would have us believe?
That would be Mino Raiola.
Off topic. I have the Arseblog App on an iPhone but can’t find a way to access comments for articles never mind post one. Before I waste any more time can anyone please let me know if it’s possible and if so how.
It’s not possible at the moment, sorry.
If you visit the site in Safari on iPhone it is fully optimised for mobile, and you can easily access the comments.
Thanks for responding. Thanks for the great blog.
Blogs,
There is an iPhone annoyance on the news.arseblog.com main page where clicking Load More Entries button simply loads the previous entries.
Can you have someone take a look?
Is this on the app or the mobile site?
Mobile site.
I’ve tried it just now with both safari and chrome for iPhone. Both have the problem.
I would assume it is on the mobile site. I am using android phone with chrome with the same problem. I thought I as the only one havinv this issue.
Sad picture on L’OM website unveiling Diaby. Ok Diaby if you do one good season and back to your full potential do come back. I’m sure Wenger was wise enough to insert is ‘Gooner Fidelity Close’ in his release statement.
Typical Wenger. Signing an unknown Frenchman… again.
Disclaimer: This is an old joke Mr Blogs had carried on the site when we signed someone or didn’t sign someone. Who remembers. I remember the joke and it was funny.
I think it’s the way you tell it.
Donyell Malen looks like he has good potential but there’s one other lovely footballer in that Ajax team. The young lad that’s wearing jersey no 10. Good touch and good vision
I like the look of malen. Potentially building for sustained success for next 10-15 years. Sweet…
After the other signings, if say do what ever you bluming well please mr jonker