According to The Athletic, Brooke Norton-Cuffy has signed a new long-term deal at Arsenal.
After impressing on loan at League One Lincoln City in the second half of last season, the 18-year-old right-back earned a host of admirers which, coupled with his existing deal ending next summer, has pushed the Gunners to move decisively.
Part of the England under-19 squad that won the European Championships in Slovakia this summer, it’s expected that Norton-Cuffy will head out on loan again (likely to a Championship club) before the transfer window closes.
That doesn’t come as a huge surprise at this point with Takehiro Tomiyasu, Cedric Soares and Ben White all able to play in his position this season. As things currently stand, the Gunners also have Hector Bellerin and Ainsley Maitland-Niles on the books.
Depending on how he fares this season, perhaps we can expect to see the academy talent stake a claim for a first team place in a year’s time.
In an interview with our very own Phil Costa for Scouted Football, Norton-Cuffy made clear he’s taking nothing for granted.
“It’s impossible to say how close you are. All you have to do is keep performing well, keep improving and carrying on your momentum. But I don’t feel far away from knocking at the door – let’s put it that way.
“When you see players who have come all the way through Hale End, it definitely gives you added motivation because you can see yourself in that position. Someone like Bukayo (Saka) especially, he’ll come and talk to you, he’ll always make you feel like you’re on the same level. It’s eye opening to see that pathway but all the guys who have made it, they have sacrificed a lot and it’s not easy.”
To read Phil’s full interview with Brooke, click here.
Great news.One for the future.
Love it! Really hope he goes on to replace Cedric in the squad next season or the year after at most. Given the cover we also get from Ben White we’ll be really well set for a good few years then.
I let My mind wander and it brought me to a possibility where one of the three top men we have there (RB) has to leave in a season / season and half. Then I heard my mind say to itself, “no, possibly Gabriel leaves (even though my mind knows I like him and that Mikel Arteta likes what he likes 🤷♂️) (smoke without fire🤷♂️) so perhaps Tomi becomes our 3rd Giant CB (if Willy ain’t focused on catching up and surpassing his mate, Mbappes earning power by earning a free/wringed transfer to Newcastle, after earning a reputation as the… Read more »
Your mind really did wander didn’t it
You ok mate?
Very pleased with this. Get him out to a top half Championship team
That will take at least ten games to find out.
Or can we trust the table at the moment?
Good point, you could have a team lose in the playoffs one season and get relegated the next, it’s incredibly unpredictable.
To be honest, as long as he’s going to a side that plays a decent brand of football that he’ll start in every week, I’m not overly arsed where they finish in the league.
Is there still a Djed Spence shaped hole at Middlesbrough?
Djed was on loan at Forest last season – think Boro play 3 centre backs and wingers so he bizarrely didn’t fit in.Thing is it’s probably tricky at this point to find a club that hasn’t got a plan at right back. We’d probably be looking at someone who doesn’t get off to a good start and wants to freshen up the squad or else him needing to force his way in at a better club.
Why won’t a premiership side take a chance on a lad who will play his heart out, no motivation needed, for a chance to return and fight at Arsenal next season and who would be sitting on the bench now if he didn’t have a little more ‘proving’ to do ?
Was great at Lincoln for half a season, won an international youth tournament. There’s something brewing here.
Is there any suggestion at all that he could stick around til Xmas and play some Europa group games? Given Tomi’s injury record it would be nice to be able to protect Ben White, and presumably we’ll need him to play CB at some point too. I think Cedric is unfairly maligned but I’d still much rather be giving an academy prospect minutes.
That’s 6 games vs 20 he’ll get in the championship
Certainly not suggesting it’s the wrong move, just would be nice to see how he fares in and amongst the first XI.
Could do a lot worse than sending him up to Blackpool alongside Patino; certainly seemed to progress rapidly with Appleton at Lincoln last year, and would be cool to start developing some chemistry with other Arsenal players early on.
Two years of learning o same coach’s tactics could be interesting unless they the tactics be upgraded on
Another LANS next year, hopefully.
In the meantime, get rid of Cedric. Even having him on the bench makes my teeth itch. Zaha would have eaten him alive the other night.
Ben White looked decent at RB to be fair, did well dealing with Zaha and still offer’s more than Cedric going forward. Tomi’s still the top boy when fit though!
Great to hear him talk about the positive impact of the hale end graduates that made it, providing roll models and inspiration for the youngsters that haven’t proved themselves yet on the big stage. After watching the first 3 episodes of all or nothing you can see what a positive attitude Saka and Smith-Rowe have, that shits contagious.
Send him to Stoke then see if he can do it on a cold Tuesday evening 😂
When the temperature is well below average.
The future is bright… at RB
Perfect time to get a new contract signed – before he (hopefully) makes it big
Our Defence look sorted for the foreseeable future
We used to have a JET, and then ANM, then ESR and now BNC
And AOC😄
We once had a RVP too, but one can be forgiven for etching that Judas out of their memory banks.
And don’t forget The BFG!