Arsenal have saved millions in the transfer market thanks to their academy.
Several top clubs in England try to bring their youth players into their first team, but more often than not, they are not at the level required.
At Arsenal, however, things have been very different. Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Max Dowman have all played for the senior side and have impressed.
Now, another young player is ready to make the step up – Marli Salmon.
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Mikel Arteta says Marli Salmon is ‘ready’ to play in the Premier League
Salmon is one of Arsenal’s most exciting young players.
The 16-year-old has been a regular in first-team training sessions and even made his Champions League debut in the game against Club Brugge earlier in December.
Arsenal have a bit of a crisis at the back right now, with Ben White out with a hamstring injury, while Gabriel Magalhaes and Cristhian Mosquera are long-term absentees.
For that reason, an opportunity could present itself for Salmon in the Premier League, and Mikel Arteta is not afraid to use him.
In his press conference, Arteta was asked if he thought Salmon was ‘ready’ to play in the English top-flight.
The Arsenal manager replied, as relayed on HaytersTV: “Yes, and he can play as a centre-back or as a full-back.
“He did it in the Champions League the other day, and I always tell the boys: ‘You are here for a reason and be ready… You have to be ready for it.’”
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Arsenal should be careful with Marli Salmon
Arteta saying that Salmon is ready to play in the Premier League is huge.
It’s not often that you see a 16-year-old centre-back receive this much faith from his manager, especially at a club as big as Arsenal.
That shows just how special a talent Salmon is, but Arsenal need to be really careful with him. It’s one thing to give opportunities to attackers of his age, but defenders need more time.
Exposing them too early in the toughest league in the world could seriously backfire, which we’re sure Arteta is aware of.
With William Saliba fit again and Gabriel closing in on a return, Arsenal shouldn’t have to use Salmon as an emergency option. He should only be given a few minutes here and there in the coming games.
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