Mikel Arteta should be seriously worried about what’s happening in Arsenal’s academy right now

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Arsenal have one of the best academies in the world.

The Gunners have saved millions on the transfer market over the last few years thanks to Hale End. Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly cost Arsenal nothing, but they’re all worth a fortune.

The Arsenal Academy deserves a lot of praise for the work that has been done in recent seasons, and with the likes of Max Dowman and Andre Harriman-Annous coming through, there’s a lot to be excited about.

However, there is also one big problem that needs to be addressed very quickly.

The worrying trend developing in Arsenal’s Academy

Arsenal are one of the best teams in the world.

Mikel Arteta has built a terrific squad, one that is capable of beating any side on the planet on their day – in the Premier League or in Europe.

The Gunners have world-class players in multiple positions on the pitch, so the pathway to the first team for players in the academy is not as straightforward as it probably is elsewhere.

That has led to a bit of an exodus in recent years, with several top talents leaving the Gunners to join other clubs.

Here are six such players:

Every one of the above players was believed to be a star in the making when they were in Arsenal’s academy, but none of them made it.

All of them chose to leave Arsenal for little or no money, and that is a really worrying sign for Arteta, the board, the owners and everyone else at the club.

Only time will tell if the above players will fulfil their potential, but it is clear that Arsenal should’ve managed them better.

Arsenal have missed out on a lot of money

A lot of the players mentioned above wanted to play senior football, and that was not possible at Arsenal.

Yes, you can criticise Arteta a bit for not giving them many opportunities, but if the Gunners boss believed they weren’t ready, it made no sense to push them.

However, Arsenal should’ve handled their exits a lot better.

For example, after Omari Hutchinson left Arsenal, Chelsea signed him and loaned him out. After just one season away, he was sold for £22 million to Ipswich.

Arsenal could’ve done that themselves if they had handled the situation well, but the fact that they didn’t should ring alarm bells.

Something needs to change behind the scenes for this to stop happening in the academy. It is costing the club a lot of money. Hopefully, the new sporting director will find a solution.