According to The Athletic, academy prospect Amario Cozier-Duberry has rejected Arsenal’s latest contract offer and will leave the club when he becomes a free agent at the end of the month.
The Gunners had been hoping to persuade the England under-19 international to commit his long-term future to the club but have struggled to convince the winger that there’s a pathway to regular game time with the first team.
Mikel Arteta has included Cozier-Duberry on the bench on a number of occasions, and he also featured in mid-season friendlies against AC Milan and Juventus in the 2022/23 season, but he’s yet to make his senior debut.
The Gunners will be eligible for compensation having overseen the 19-year-old’s development over the last five years, but his departure will definitely be a viewed blow, especially as it comes hot on the heels of Reuell Walters’ exit.
Newcastle United have been linked with the player in the past and there’s also said to be interest from clubs on the continent.
Earlier this month, the Gunners confirmed that 16 players were being released from the academy, in addition to first team members Arthur Okonkwo, Mo Elneny and Cedric Soares. It’ll be interesting to see if reinforcements are sought.
A shame, definitely potential there.
I just look at it as a sign of how good we are.
Young players can’t see a path. And that’s because we have absolute quality in every position.
Although 19 isn’t old by any stretch, I can’t think of many academy players who make it at Arsenal who haven’t played a competitive game by that age.
Saka, Cesc and Wilshere were all doing it at 17. And that’s the level.
Good luck lad.
Did Hector play before he was 19? Feel like he didn’t but I might be wrong. Ramsey I think also only played League Cup for us at 18, and Arteta’s policy for LC matches isn’t nearly as inclusive as Wenger’s. Szczesny too only at 19 or 20, Iwobi. I think 19 is still definitely viable, but it is probably the point you want to make sure you’re going to start getting involved in senior level football, and I guess he thought his chances of achieving that Arsenal were slim. I do wish Arteta at least gave these lads a go… Read more »
the only reason saka got to play as early as he did for us was because of a massive injury crisis. if not, maybe he wouldn’t have played for us at all, just like cozier-duberry. age doesn’t really matter: we’ve seen players debut at a very young age and dissappoint (nketiah also debuted for us being 17), and we’ve also seen them debut very late and perform (vardy played his first professional match at 25). my point being, if you’re good enough, you’re good enough. but you need to be given the chance to prove it.
19 is already a prime year for a winger.
Another example of appalling management of younger players. Not providing even a Clint of opportunity.
Arteta has not once started an u20 in his time and they know their development chances are better elsewhere
C-D will be as big as Saka
Come on. You don’t know that and when would you have played him?
Come on if there ever was a time he could have given the youngsters some gametime it was this season.
Bournemouth 0-4
Sheff utd 5-0
Chrystal palace 5-0
West Ham 0-6
Burnley 5-0
Newcastle 4-1
Sheff utd 0-6
Chelsea 5-0
Bournemouth 3-0
Not once in those games did he give Nwaneri or CD some minutes, instead he played Cedric.
Remember the goal difference that might have played a role had Son did better? Remember how quickly City reduced it despite these blowouts?
I also want Arteta give more time to the youngsters, but at the same time, we are fighting a machine!
The only way to consistently give chances to youngsters is to leave gaps in the squad on September 1st so that as and when an injury / suspension happens there is no choice but to play the kid. Of the big teams, only Liverpool consistently do that and it’s why they occasionally finish 5th despite having Van Dijk, Salah etc because when those players get injured their backup is inevitably a spotty teenager with a shit fringe. If you’re happy with the risk of not challenging next season because Odegaard gets an injury and Nwanweri has to play 30 games… Read more »
I am not sure I agree here. City (Oscar Bobb and Rico Lewis), Newcastle (Lewis Hall, Lewis Miley), Liverpool and Man Utd (both several youngsters) have succeeded in integrating their best youngsters while working towards the 1st team’s goals in the last couple of seasons. It should be part of the annual goals of the team as if saves money and includes intangible benefits e.g. fostering the fans devotion to the club/player. Arsenal have lost its most ready players in the last two seasons in Hutchinson and now ACD. It is a failure on this front and while I agree… Read more »
I can see your point but I’d have to disagree and i’ll explain why: City Rico Lewis is very fair and probably the best example of actively bringing through a youngster from the last few years. He apparently made his debut when they were 5-0 up against Copenhagen, and I’d like to see Arteta give chances to Nwanweri etc if we find ourselves in similar positions this coming season. Oscar Bobb was 20 and a full Sweden international when he made his City debut. We don’t have the cash to pay our youth team so much they stick around until… Read more »
Not sure about this. Since Liverpool have been blooding the kids they haven’t won a league title and Man Utd are shit. We’re trying to win the league. Man City can blood players because they simply have an exceptional, unattainable squad of talent around them to pick up the slack.
Fair point, maybe our title winning ambitions are all consuming at present. However, Liverpool’s kids, I’d argue have always added a kind of promethean energy to their teams. Remember, Robertson and TAA were also blooded in as youngsters. It’s also true that they did better than expected with their youngsters last season which proves that it (close to par performances with young players vs without) can be done. I’m not suggesting Arsenal follow this route completely. A little bit of a less conservative approach could be a good thing. Imagine this, Saka or Martinelli would never have made it into… Read more »
Robertson was signed as a 23 year old with premier league experience from Hull City.
I don’t think those are good examples. City didn’t go into a season with holes in their squad, they’ve had two very good young players that have been able to come in when Cancelo and Grealish underperformed. Newcastle, Liverpool and United all have weaker squads than us, so their young players don’t have to be as good to get a game. This is the cost of being one of the best teams, young players have to be extraordinary to break in. Saka, Martinelli and ESR (along with Eddie, Nelson, AMN and Willock) might not have gotten the chances that they… Read more »
Fans always talk about the young players like they have some special insight into their future. Basically it’s advocacy for holding onto every lottery ticket in hopes of hitting on two or three. For every Saka there are 10 Reiss Nelsons and 20 more talents that in all probability won’t pan out (at least not at our level). It’s a constant winnowing and those that last the longest are the hardest to see go, but fact is the real stars – Saka, Martinelli, Saliba, essentially force the manager to play them. I wish CD were staying because he sounds interesting,… Read more »
Remind me about city and Jadon Sancho, Palmer
You either go for the big trophies or develop young players, you can’t expect to win the premier league with youngsters, you simply cannot compete with City with academy players.
This is agent and family whispering bad advice into a young person’s ear for their own benefit.
You have inside sources?
I think it’s more like exactly what was said. Arsenal will go recruit for Saka competition rather than hope a youngster makes a highly unlikely leap.
I actually think there is a downside to creating hope for not-quite-there-players like Reiss and Eddie and keeping them around when they should be out making their way.
Young players as squad depth is something you see all over Europe but it has to be the right profile, a guy who gives you something unique despite his rawness. Vieira is an example of that and despite an overall disappointing campaign he showed he can change a game against Fulham. If we are honest, Eddie and Reiss provided little beyond another warm body on the bench. Nothing either of them has was unique in the squad. That’s why they hardly played. Should’ve cashed in before their major contract. We failed to build their value and the mistake was repeated… Read more »
Per Mertsacker needs to be sacked, punto final.
If we have produced a 19 year old that’s good enough to play for top flight clubs in Holland/Germany then Mertesacker has done his job.
Arteta too. And Edu. I’m tired of all of them. No, I don’t have any other reasons, but if you needed reasons to post on line, the world would be so much duller.
Saka hasn’t done anything for arsenal in the last 3 weeks either! Not one goal. Not one assist.
In the bin! In the bin! In the bin!
It’s not mertesackers decision who plays for which team, he’s in an executive role.
Why, because he doesn’t visit the youngsters’ families with Luca Blassi and asks them to sign that contract?
Fair enough. Our team is a lot better than it was when Saka etc broke through and all great teams struggle to integrate anything other than generational talents, which I think only Nwanweri qualifies out from this generation.
If Arsenal was this good when Saka broke into the team, i’d bet Saka wouldnt have had a chance. At some point, Trossard was on the bench as good as he is.
I think the key is going to be providing well-placed loans that give our players other opportunities to develop the way City, Chelsea etc do. If Saka came through our academy now I hope he’d play 50 games on loan in the Bundesliga ready to integrate aged 20 once he’s proven his talent.
This is exactly where Arsenal need to improve. after a successful loan or 2, players of Amario’s quality should be sold on for 5 /10 mil with 20% sell on fees to clubs like Dortmund.
I wish him well but the situation does feel a little miserable managed. (NOT Arteta giving him first team minutes, but failing to make an asset out of him is costing us in ffp)
*mis-managed
Exactly right. The academy should be a major source of revenue at least and the source of the occasiona world class talent every 5 years or so. We can’t all be Ajax and Barcelona but we can be a lot better than this.
I’ve been thinking this for a while – some clubs seem to be able to sell their youth for significant fees (Liverpool, Chelsea, city, villa and others) whilst we struggle. BBC sport reporting today that villa have sold another 18 year old to Chelsea for £20m (after chukaweme last season for similar) plus another youth player to Everton for £10m – as far as I’m aware neither has been out on loan either
Going to sandcastle to play for cash, not sporting ambition, same as hutchinson when he left for chelsea… good riddance.
So they should stay and play in the reserves ? Don’t be daft
You are just fantastic at mind reading. He hurt your feelings?
How can you convince him that there is a pathway?
Probably offered more money somewhere else, like Hutchinson. Went to Chel$ea, got paid more and got loaned to Ipswich, where he had a good season. Our loans need to be better to encourage our top youngsters to stick around and prove themselves, at the moment most of the loans are a waste of time.
I agree with this. The Balogun loan was a great example. Saliba as well.
It just seems like the quality overall that we are producing is not high enough. Looking at where most of these guys end up tells you their level, and it’s not pretty. I don’t know if the issue is one of development or simply starting with the wrong profiles, but improvement is needed.
If a young player doesn’t want to stay even after being offered a contract which obvious means the club believe there’s a pathway for him then I’m sorry but.. good luck to you mate. This is Arsenal. The 3rd most successful club in England with one of the top two squads in the prem. There should be no situation where we have to beg any player to play for us, let alone a youngster with no minutes. Sorry to see him go but we need players who are desperate to play for us, honoured to wear the badge and have… Read more »
Ian Maatsen of the Chelsea academy to Aston Villa for 37 million. Omari Kellyman of Aston Villa academy going the other way for 20 million. This is the bar and Arsenal are falling massively short of it.
I think it’s more likely agreements to scratch each others backs. If there has been a series of over inflated academy product deals between villa Everton and Chelsea – the three teams most at risk of breaching FFP rules by 30th June – and the 3 of them start trading youth players (counted as pure profit in ffp terms) for large sums of money (genuinely never heard of any of them except maatsen and the fees are vastly above market valuations of the payers as per transfermrket)