The uncertainty surrounding Arsenal’s academy this summer has resulted in two highly-rated talents leaving.
It follows the bitter disappointment of losing out on Jeremy Monga to Manchester City, despite having tracked his situation for months.
Now, according to the Daily Mail, Kyran Thompson and Mishel Nduka are set to leave Hale End, though there are conflicting reports over their destinations.
Arsenal bought Thompson from West Ham in 2024 for £1.1million when he was just 15, but now the talented winger is heading to a Premier League rival.
The report claims Thompson is heading to north London rivals Tottenham, while Arsenal youth insider Next Generation Arsenal claim he has actually agreed to join Newcastle, after what has been a “back and forth saga”.
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Either way, after turning down a contract offer from the Gunners, he’s leaving.
Mishel Nduka’s situation is less clear. The Daily Mail report claims he is set to sign for Manchester City, but Next Generation Arsenal suggest the case remains 50/50, with the 16-year-old midfielder training away from the club while his future is resolved.
Arsenal had been keen to tie him down to a new extended contract before his scholarship expired on 30 June.
Nduka joined the Arsenal academy in September 2025 after eight years at Charlton.
Despite only turning 16 in April, he had already featured twice for the Under-21s, appeared in a UEFA Youth League match against Club Brugge, and represented England’s Under-16s on seven occasions.
A genuine talent, and one Arsenal will be disappointed to potentially lose.
Why Arsenal’s academy is losing players right now
It’s been a difficult time for the academy. Per Mertesacker’s exit as academy director after eight years has inevitably created uncertainty around contract negotiations with young players.
The instability that came with that has led to multiple talents considering their futures.
Hopefully, the arrival of Pascal De Maesschalck as new academy director will steady things going forward, after his appointment last week.
But he has his work cut out. It’s not just Thompson and Nduka they could lose.
There are ongoing concerns over Emerson Nwaneri, Ethan’s younger brother, who at 15 is showing signs he may not sign a deal to remain at the club despite being fast-tracked into the Under-18s and earning England Under-16 recognition.
The complications surrounding the uncertain future of Ethan have not helped the club’s case for retaining Emerson.
Again, according to Next Generation Arsenal, that case is not closed yet, but the signs are not encouraging.
It has not been the academy summer Arsenal would have wanted. However, there is still plenty to be excited about.
The Quintero twins and Victor Ozhianvuna are due to arrive next year, and there is still plenty of talent in the pipeline.
But losing exciting prospects of this calibre to direct rivals, in circumstances that could potentially have been avoided, is a concern the new academy director will need to address quickly.
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