Mikel Arteta has never been afraid to give young players opportunities at Arsenal.
The Spaniard regularly promotes academy talents into first-team training, and the players who impress him often earn chances with the senior side.
That pathway has already helped the likes of Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Max Dowman establish themselves at Arsenal.
Now, ahead of the Premier League clash against West Ham, Arteta surprised many by involving two teenagers who technically are not even Arsenal players yet – Edwin Quintero and Holger Quintero.
They’ve been compared to Neymar and Ronaldinho, but which players do the Quintero twins remind you of?
Edwin and Holger Quintero train with the Arsenal first team
The Quintero twins are regarded as two of the brightest young talents in South American football.
Arsenal moved quickly earlier this season to secure agreements for both players before rival clubs could make their move.
However, Edwin and Holger will not officially become Arsenal players immediately.
The duo are currently still playing for Independiente del Valle in Ecuador and are expected to complete their moves once they turn 18 in August 2027.
That is why it came as a surprise when they were spotted with Arsenal’s first team at the Sobha Realty Training Centre this week.
Pictures released ahead of Sunday’s game against West Ham showed both youngsters involved alongside Arteta’s senior squad.
The pair also attended Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final second-leg against Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium earlier this week.
This is another clear sign that Arsenal already view them as major parts of the club’s future plans. For two players who technically still belong to another club, this was a significant moment.
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Arsenal’s future looks incredible
There is enormous excitement around the Quintero twins within football circles. Many people in the game believe both players have the talent to become genuine superstars in the future.
However, they are far from the only elite young talents Arsenal currently have.
Max Dowman is already viewed as a potential generational player, while youngsters like Marli Salmon, Luis Munoz, Ife Ibrahim and several others are progressing extremely well through the academy system.
Arsenal have also invested heavily behind the scenes to improve youth development and ensure the Hale End pathway remains one of the best in Europe.
If everything comes together as planned, Arteta could eventually have a super-team capable of dominating football for years to come.
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