Reuell Walters and Lino Sousa are both still eligible to feature for Arsenal U18s this season, but they haven’t played a single game at that level and have instead continued to be regulars for the club at U21 level.
The full-backs have performed well so far this season and have also had first-team recognition, with Walters having been involved in pre-season, while Sousa was named on the bench against Brentford.
Walters joined Arsenal in 2021 having had a spell out of the game after a registration issue prevented a move to Manchester United from materialising. He was previously at Tottenham’s academy.
Mainly a right-back who relishes supporting the attack, he demonstrated during pre-season that he is also capable of operating effectively as a centre-back or a left-back.
Sousa, meanwhile, is a left-back who joined from West Bromwich Albion in January this year. Although he is another player who likes to attack, Sousa is aware of when to stay back defensively and is capable of making intelligent interceptions.
Both players have been involved in the Papa Johns Trophy this season, with Arsenal’s run in that competition having come to an end when they were beaten by Stevenage this week.
Walters and Sousa are both only 17 years old yet they amassed plenty of experience at U21 level. In the second half of the season they will hope to get even closer to the first-team and it is possible that they could head out on loan next campaign.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
So much talent coming through the academy…. hopefully we’re on the verge of starting another ‘golden age’….too bad pep just renewed his contract…. we’ll just have to do it the hard way!😉
Reuelle Walters, Lino Sousa, Harry Clarke, Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Ryan Alebiosu, are 5 of our highly talented academy fullbacks who all have the height, power, pace, technique, intelligence and mentality to implement Arteta’s ideas in the fullback role. They are such enormous talents! If these guys are integrated early, they will edge out Cedric, Zinchenko and Tierney. This is because Artetaball requires fullbacks who can physically dominate opposition wingers when our team is out of possession, in addition to taking up intelligent central positions when our team in is possession. These our 5 academy fullbacks are proper prototypes of White… Read more »