It was announced this week that a host of academy players will be leaving Arsenal when their contracts expire at the end of this month.
The majority of the names that were included on the list were expected, including the likes of Tyreece John-Jules and Taylor Foran, both of whom have been at the club for many years.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the inclusion of James Sweet, who has made excellent progress over the past couple of seasons, which led to him being named on the bench for the first-team this campaign.
Mainly a right-back but also capable of operating at left-back, Sweet has developed well, having previously been used as a winger and in midfield.
As ever at U21 level, the departures of established players will lead to opportunities for others and one of the players that could step up is Josh Nichols.
The defender has already played 14 times for Arsenal at U21 level and it is anticipated that he will be offered a professional contract ahead of next season.
Mainly a right-back, Nichols is also capable of playing at left-back, which makes him the ideal candidate to succeed Sweet.
Although he isn’t the tallest, the 17-year-old is an extremely determined player who works tirelessly to win the ball back.
Chido Martin Obi, meanwhile, will be aiming to step up to be Arsenal’s main striker at U21 level after his incredible goalscoring exploits for the U18s.
Mika Biereth, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Khayon Edwards are still at the club but it seems unlikely that any of them will be playing U21 football next season, which could lead to Martin Obi being called upon on a regular basis.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
Why are we calling Chido “Martin Obi” now? Until recently he was “Obi-Martin”, his wikipedia page (referring to his chidoobi.martin instagram handle) calls him Obi-Martin.
At least he’s not Martin Øbi, that might cause a little confusion (said in Monty Python cod-Australian accent).