Arsenal are in need of another creative midfielder after letting Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira leave in the summer.
Ethan Nwaneri has developed into a right-wing option in recent weeks and is no longer competing for a place in midfield due to the Gunners’ sparsity of forwards.
Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard is having to play every minute and his form has clearly been impacted by the extreme burden that he been placed upon him.
The North Londoners could dip into the market to solve this issue, as playmaker Sverre Nypan has been linked with a move to Arsenal.
However, there may be an internal solution, with one academy youngster showcasing why he should be considered as a genuine first-team option on Friday night.
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Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand compared to Santi Cazorla after impressive performance for Arsenal under-21s
Arsenal’s under-21 thumped Newcastle United’s reserves 4-1 in Premier League 2 on Friday night.
Goals from Sebastian Ferdinand, Michal Rosiak, Osman Kamara and Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand saw off the Magpies.
The likes of Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Max Dowman were unavailable to Mehmet Ali due to first-team commitments, but the coach still named a relatively strong team.
Tommy Setford, Josh Nichols, Jimi Gower, Will Sweet and Khayon Edwards all started for the Gunners at Meadow Park.
Oulad M’Hand impressed against West Ham earlier this month for the under-21s, and the Dutchman was once again the star of the show.
The creative midfielder was involved in three of the four goals, taking the shot that led to the second, creating the third with an excellent run, before converting a stunning free-kick late in the game.
The performance was so eye-catching that it prompted Arsenal youth expert Jeorge Bird to compare the 21-year-old to Santi Cazorla.
The journalist also described Oulad M’Hand as ‘the standout performer’ in his match report, waxing lyrical about his low centre of gravity and exceptional close control.
Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand should be considered by Mikel Arteta to play in the Arsenal first team
Bird also wrote after Friday night’s youth encounter: “It has been evident throughout this season that Salah-Eddine is well above U21 level and that was very much the case again tonight, with the midfielder delivering a virtuoso display as Arsenal dispatched of their Newcastle counterparts with a 4-1 victory.”
It’s clear that Oulad M’Hand is ready to play first-team minutes, and Mikel Arteta ought to be considering him due to the lack of alternative options to the fatigued Martin Odegaard.
Arsenal fans were impressed by Oulad-M’Hand in pre-season, and he’s already got a taste of competitive senior football, spending last season on loan at Dutch side FC Den Bosch.
Odegaard needs a deputy and the under-21 star is the closest thing to the Norwegian that Arteta has at his disposal.
Earning comparisons to Cazorla, it’s evident that his technical quality is good enough to play in the Premier League, it’s merely a question of whether he can cope with the physicality and intensity of the English top flight.
However, with Odegaard’s form not where it needs to be, trialling Oulad-M’Hand towards the end of a game would be worth a punt.
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