It’s safe to say that not many people in England had heard of Vlad Dragomir before his move to Arsenal was announced this week, but there is a very good chance that more people will be aware of him by the end of the season.
Dragomir, a central-midfielder who captains Romania’s U16 team, is set to join the Gunners from Poli Timosoara, with the youngster poised to be heavily involved in Arsenal’s U18 team in the new season.
The 16-year-old is the fourth youngster to have been acquired by Arsenal this summer, following in the footsteps of Yassin Fortune, Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Kostas Pileas and it is hoped that this quartet, along with the club’s homegrown youngsters, will help the U18s to achieve a considerably better set of results in 2015/16 after the club suffered the ignominy of finishing bottom of the lowest academy group last season.
Of all the acquisitions mentioned above, it could be argued that Dragomir’s was the most necessary, with Frans De Kat’s side having struggled in central-midfield for much of last season. They still lack a natural ball-winner in the middle of the park, but Dragomir will hopefully provide some creativity and flair that was sorely lacking in 2014/15.
Dragomir is also capable of playing on the left flank if required and it is hoped that he will be able to have a more immediate impact than some of the other youngsters that have arrived from abroad in recent times.
Reine-Adelaide, too, is a very exciting prospect. Plucked from Lens’ academy, he usually operates as a central-attacking midfielder and is extremely skilful. At 17, he is a little older than the three other new signings and, as a consequence, he could be moved up to the U21 squad a little quicker, although he is expected to feature for the U18s initially as he attempts to adapt to English football.
There may be questions asked in some quarters regarding why the club had to sign four foreign youngsters amidst concerns that there isn’t a sufficient amount of homegrown talent being produced. That theory has plenty of evidence to support it and it is rather concerning that several players aren’t managing to make the step up from Hale End, but for now it is perhaps wise to invest time and trust in players from elsewhere who have already provided an indication that they have what it takes to perform at a higher level.
It must be said that there are still some talented homegrown players being produced by the club, but several of the homegrown youngsters that operate in the same positions as the new signings haven’t been up to scratch with regards to their recent performances.
–
Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
It’s a global game now. Get the best and they will bring the UK players up, so long as the UK players get decent training from a young age (which most don’t currently).
Though lots of overseas players that look promising don’t make it, so give them time.
Agree with you sir. If you look at other leagues all teams attempt to play same way, Spain for example, the team at the bottom do not lump the ball up field so a lot of Spanish youngsters are technically better as they have played this way since childhood, bellerin prime example. In England you still have too many fat SAMs and the like training our kids to win at all costs. Then the FA appoint Maclaren Hodgson Pearce southgate and then blame to many overseas players. Cunts, the lot of em.
what is it?
buy em young so they so class as home grown players.
next year we’ll be millionaires rodney
I can’t say too much but I was at Hale End just a few weeks ago. From a facilities perspective, the first thing that surprised me was just how….. basic. This wasn’t just a standard PL club, this was meant to be one of the best academies in the world of football. Yet facilities wise, it wasn’t much better than… say Reading, which I was at in April (they have a Grade 1 academy tbf). But it was made clear that under the old guard and leadership, the academy had been allowed to fall way behind other too clubs, and… Read more »
on what basis is the comparison being done here?
Based on me working for a top 12 london club (enough of a clue there) in the sports science team, having been there and also being at other clubs.
You don’t have to believe me. Don’t really care if anyone does tbh, just wanted to give some insight. I would bet what I’m saying is no different to if Jeorge was to confirm it.
Stillmatic, it would be insightful if you could share exactly where you believe Hale End is lacking. Is it just the facilities? Or is it the training methodology? The scouted youth? Have Jonkers et al made a positive difference? Please do share if you can…
I guess it’s everything really.
I couldn’t judge on a scouting and coaching side, but based on thru conversations whilst there, the old guard were pretty old school in their approach and inhibited modern ideas an changes.
I know there’s a huge upgrade to the medical side, along with an increase in that area. New facilities were being built for schooling, and the medical side, and an re-jig on coaching.
Couldn’t comment about scouting though.
Arsenal has ongoing project to upgrade youth training ground and hale end. Not too sure the completion date but should be ready in next 2 years.
I hope this has not been affecting how we attract players to our academy (Hale End).
Just wanted to know what is been done wrong behind the scene so we as fans have some questions to bombard gazidis with the next time !
That sounds like a very aggressive approach to life — positively looking for ways in which to attack someone…
I dunno man. We did the whole international youth recruitment thing before and ended up with a lot of cast offs. Hopefully the talent spotting is better this time around.
There are always a lot of castoffs. At a club the caliber of arsenal you’re going to have a 100:1 ratio (at least) in terms of who comes in as kids and who ends up making the grade in the first team. Even when you get them at 16, you’d be lucky to have 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 make the grade, even with the best scouting team in the world. You can tell whether someone’s got talent at 16, but there’s a lot more to making a top footballer than just talent, and some of that you… Read more »
I’m 17 and I’m just sitting here masturbating. What am I doing with my life…
You may well fit in at Sp*rs.
Apparently, what you’re doing with your life is just sitting there masturbating.
Can any of these youngsters become a new Messi? Wish one of them can
Per Mertesacker is the new Messi, he just needs a bit more time to fully develop yet.
Messisacker
Mertesassi
”Finished bottom of the lowest academy group”, this is a talent problem not a facility issue for sure. I saw Mali’s U20 and they are much better than english U21. Saying this to prove that sheer talent is what makes the difference from U17 up to that level.
It is neither and/or thing, but both. I’m sure Mali u20 would do well, African u21 teams tend to do well historically (get your age jokes in, lads). It’s another thing if any of those u20s Mali players become world class.
Lack of facility development was symptomatic of a leadership that had grown stale and resistant to any new changes, ideas, coaching methods that would improve the academy.
The new facilities is indication of an overall academy that has accepted it’s lagged behind and is willing to make the necessary investments.
In fairness I think we should be trying to bring in the top youngsters regardless of how our team is doing. If there’s a top player/prospect somewhere we should be going for him.
Reine-Adelaide doesn’t really sound like a Jeff.
sounds like an aussie Sheila
For any Arsenal team under the current set of conditions, to finish bottom of the lowest division possible, is frankly a disgrace and a woeful damnation of whoever is supposed to be in charge.
Given our reach, resources and supposed ability that is just intolerable.
Hopefully things will improve dramatically this coming season.