Chris Willock, Marcus McGuane, Dan Crowley, Ismael Bennacer, Donyell Malen and now Armstrong Okoflex. These are just some of the youngsters who have elected to leave Arsenal within the past year or so in search of furthering their careers elsewhere.
Okoflex is the latest addition to the list, with the Hale End graduate, a talented striker, having rejected Arsenal’s offer of a scholarship deal before deciding to sign for Celtic.
When at Arsenal Okoflex was one of the club’s most highly regarded youngsters and last season he gained considerable experience of playing at U18 level while he was still a schoolboy, impressing with his clever movement and link-up play.
However, the 16-year-old feels that his development would be better served by moving to Celtic, where he believes he could eventually receive first-team opportunities if he impresses sufficiently.
Arsenal have already acted to replace Okoflex by bringing in Sam Greenwood, another excellent prospect, from Sunderland.
However, the trend of players turning down contracts is a concerning one and it looks set to continue, with other individuals currently at the club considering their futures.
It is important to stress that this isn’t a problem that is unique to Arsenal, with many of the top English academies losing highly-rated talents to other clubs, whether in the Premier League or, as is increasingly the case, abroad.
Whereas previously many youngsters elected to continue their development at the club at which they were raised, a higher amount of players are now deciding to assess their options to consider whether the potential pathway into the first-team will be clearer with another team.
Only time will tell whether any of them have made the right decision, but the situation is likely to become even more common in the near future.
Reiss Nelson has less than a year remaining on his current deal and, despite being offered a new contract by Arsenal, has yet to sign it.
The expectation is that the England youth international will wait to see what first-team opportunities he is afforded in the early stages of the new season before deciding whether to commit his future to the club.
All of the major academies in England will be aware, though, that it is going to become increasingly difficult to keep hold of their best youngsters.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
Another youngster with a cool name off the books, our future headlines are going to be incredibly dull
To me, Ozil needs to rub a bit of Okoflex on his back and his back pain will disappear completely.
I wonder if there’s a youth player that sounds like a cold remedy…
It’s unlikely that he went to Celtic for financial reasons, more the case that he was promised a quicker route into senior football, anyway good luck to him.
It’s pretty much how we used to convince Barca players to join us. Now lesser players are doing the same.
Can’t blame them. In recent years in particular as fans have demanded success, that’s just pushed up spending and reduced chances for youngers.
Coupled with Arsenal’s own recent poor pedigree of dealing with players too good for u23s via terrible loans, it’s worth a shot.
He wants to play for Brendan – see https://twitter.com/DeludedBrendan
Is Armstrong Okoflex the best name ever to be part of Arsenal?
Off topic I know but am I the only one feeling for welbeck? He went to the World Cup knowing he wasn’t going to start but expecting some game time yet hasn’t been seen (despite him being a good option at times)
He’d have been so much better off staying home and getting a full preseason in with the new coach
Agree 100%
Okoflex. I thought this story was gonna be about a contract with a new artificial turf or training shoe that we couldn’t quite tie down.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t Dan Crowley let go?
Fart Knox legrooms