Here I am again, there’s no first team action this weekend but there are still youth players that still need some mention. Rather than players out on loan I think this time it’s to focus on some of the youngsters still in the club.
The first player is somebody I hope to be seeing a lot of soon in the first team. That player is Jeff Reine-Adelaide who I first remember seeing at the Emirates Cup 2016 against Lyon, when he first caught my eye with a piece of silky footwork to evade some challenges around the box and Wolfsburg where he also showed off his fancy footwork as well as assisting a Theo Walcott goal.
The 19 year old has been gradually dropped in and out of the first team this year, starting three times in the League Cup and twice in the F.A. Cup (coming on as a sub once). His inclusion is pretty encouraging because unlike most he is getting valuable game time with the first team in some competitive matches which could only help his development.
Over these games for the first team we’ve seen his confidence on the ball against teams like Southampton in performances which are sound for a player of his age, but hopefully next year he is drafted into some Premier League games because he is one player I’m very keen on breaking into our first team.
Another player that’s been given quite a few minutes in the first team this season that could get there on a regular basis is Ainsley Maitland-Niles. With four starts and three sub appearances, with one of those in the Premier League, he could be Arsenal’s next youngster to regularly break into the first team soon.
Maitland-Niles has shown over the course of the season in his first team appearances that he is very versatile, playing in midfield as well as filling in at right back. But everybody knows that the 19 year old’s best position for the first team has been in the middle of the park. Like most Arsenal players he’s very comfortable on the ball and is able to play a variety of passes.
Last season Maitland-Niles racked up 30 games in the Championship for Ipswich Town which could have only done a world of good in terms of his development and giving him more experience in the game at such a young age. With almost a full season of first team football under his belt that may help his case for getting into the Arsenal first team soon and with the integration of both him and Reine-Adelaide this year, who knows, next year could be their year.
Moving on to a player that hasn’t featured for the first team yet. Donyell Malen. Coming through the youth set up Ajax, Arsenal fans will hope he could have at least half the impact in coming years as Ajax and Arsenal legends Dennis Bergkamp.
In his first season in the Arsenal set up last year the 18 year old netted 14 times in 30 games which is a very respectable return, this season he has scored 9 in 29 games which may not seem as good as his previous but is still respectable seeing as he has been played more on the wing this term. There’s no doubt the speedy striker is an exciting prospect and maybe, like Maitland-Niles, Malen could be due for a loan move to gain first team experience or if not begin to be integrated into the first team.
Either way these are three players that I’ve had my eye on for a while and I’m hoping that they will be able to have very successful years with Arsenal.
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