When Gedion Zelalem and Dan Crowley signed scholarship deals with Arsenal in 2013 it was widely anticipated that one of them, if not both, would go on to have a successful career at the club.
Fast forward three and a half years, however, and it is another member of that intake, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who is on the periphery of the first-team squad, while Zelalem and Crowley haven’t quite hit the expected heights, at least not yet.
Zelalem remains a very talented player, but, despite having gained experience while on loan at Rangers last season, the United States youth international appears no closer to the first-team at Arsenal, largely due to the abundance of central-midfielders at the club.
Crowley, meanwhile, has endured a difficult couple of seasons, with the prospect having seen loan spells at Barnsley and Oxford United cut short. The midfielder is now on trial at Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles as he seeks to earn another temporary move, but, even if that venture is a success, time is running out for him to make the cut at Arsenal.
Maitland-Niles, though, appears to be very much part of Arsene Wenger’s future plans, as demonstrated by the fact that the versatile youngster is now almost an ever present at first-team training sessions.
Capable of playing as a central-midfielder, out wide or at right-back, Maitland-Niles is a useful player to have around the squad in the event of an injury crisis and he has already featured in the Premier League this season.
It wasn’t as if Maitland-Niles was an unknown quantity when Zelalem and Crowley were first emerging, with the Hale End product having played for Arsenal’s youth side in European competition when he was still a schoolboy.
It certainly wasn’t expected, however, that, at this juncture, it would be Maitland-Niles who appears to have the best chance of making it at Arsenal.
There is still hope for Zelalem (who may go out on loan again next month) and Crowley, but they certainly need to re-establish their momentum.
After developing well at Ipswich last season, Maitland-Niles has adapted well to the questions asked of him at Arsenal this season, with his ability to perform effectively in different positions certainly aiding his cause.
As Alex Iwobi demonstrated last season, it isn’t always the most hyped youngsters that end up making it.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
Really hope zelalem makes!
Makes it!
Versatility brings you a lot of opportunities. That’s what is being demonstrated here by the young chap, Maitland.
Versatility gets you very far under Wenger.
Kolo Toure’s career sprung from it.
Zelalem needs to bulk up a bit.. in terms of technical ability, he’s more than polished. He also doesn’t seem to possess the mentality and maturity of Iwobi and Maitland. Hopefully he makes it.
There’s a lot of love for Zelalem from this fan base. Obviously his technique is fantastic, he can see a pass and execute it very well but in his whole time at Arsenal there has been stunted improvement in other areas. He’s a passenger when not in possession and that needs to change for him to make it.
‘Jack of all trades master of none’ is not in the teaching manuals of AW. In fact very much the opposite.
Callum Chambers may be suffering from that.
Positional versatility is a different thing from not being the master of your trade at Arsenal. Arsene has track record of playing players in different positions not only to help the team but to help the player develop and have a better understanding of their favoured position. Bar keepers, I can’t think of an academy player who’s graduated to the first team that has had only one playing position. Fabregas is possibly the exception, he was a unique talent though, and even then you could argue he’s played both ‘no.10’ and a different deep lying central midfield role.
Yea it’s more like the plot of Doctor Strange. You think a player is great at his current position, then Wenger puts them elsewhere where they stumble and somehow become saviours of the world.
To my side think Arsene trying his level best to promote the youngster, but issues come to them who are promoted are they putting much efforts to convince the manager???? Lwobi fantastic player to watch why not others do you remember frimpong emmanuel accusation on wenger not giving him a chance to play but 28 aug 2011 Manu fc 8 and arsenal 2 at the defensive mid coquelin played but you see now among the influential player in our team is him and when is out we miss him so the managers always have plans and vision let him do… Read more »
What has happened to sango
Wenger mysteriously said a week or two ago that he has a “confidential problem” that he couldn’t discuss but wasn’t “life-threatening”. So I guess the answer to your question is, he’s alive, but beyond that we don’t know.
Sounds like a STD tbh
He was hailed by Mick McCarthy as well!
With regard to Sanogo, I’m hoping he will be moved on, he’s not good enough for us, but he’s one of those that Arsene gets a stubborn streak over and plays them regardless.
maybe it shows wengers changing prorities . earlier it used to be having technically good players capable of keeping possession in every position in the ground. he didint care much about security in midfield . at that time zalelam must’ve been above all other academy players. right now wenger want more than just technical ability , he want the player to work more off the ball, in part due to the luxury and freedom afforded to ozil. to offset that central players have to work more. that is why coquelin is playing more than other players . even ramsey dont… Read more »
It takes much much more than just talent for the youths to make it nowadays.Take Iwobi for example…i think his link-up play,maturity and calmness/humility is what propelled him to the first team