Arsenal currently have several young talents thriving in the first-team, and this resembles a stark contrast to the lack of success within the Academy a decade ago.
Whilst there were promising talents coming through in Arsene Wenger’s final years, with Serge Gnabry and Chuba Akpom among those who wen on to have successful careers elsewhere, none established themselves at Arsenal in the same way the likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah have now.
However, that is not to say that there were no exciting talents at all. In between Saka and the likes of Jack Wilshere, and even Cesc Fabregas before him, there was one talent who seemed destined for the top in Gedion Zelalem. However, the midfielder has now opened up on why he ultimately did not reach his potential at the Emirates.
Gedion Zelalem opens up on Arsenal struggles
The German-born American midfielder made Arsenal history just over 10 years ago, when he came on for the first-team in an FA Cup tie against Coventry City at just 16 years of age. This made him the first player born after Wenger’s arrival at Arsenal to appear for the club.
A technically astute prospect, Zelalem had impressed in pre-season alongside first-team stars such as Tomas Rosicky, Aaron Ramsey and current boss Mikel Arteta, and his debut was a moment which many thought would be the start of a highly successful career.
However, injuries prevented his progress at the club, and after a few loan spells, he departed for good in 2019.
Speaking to The Athletic, Zelalem explained what stopped him from succeeding at Arsenal like many had predicted.
“I still think if I hadn’t got my anterior cruciate ligament injury, things would have gone differently at Arsenal, even though I had stagnated and gone out on loan,” Zelalem stated.
“I was out for six months, but then I needed another surgery and was out for over 400 days. The worst part was I was nowhere near myself for two or three years.
“Not being as nimble as I was was hard to take because I was always one of the best players on my team. To go from that to not being that guy was really difficult.”
Gedion Zelalem had drawn Cesc Fabregas comparisons
Many were excited by the prospect of a 16-year-old central midfielder unexpectedly breaking into the Arsenal team, and naturally, comparisons were made with Fabregas, who would go on to become club captain.
“He dribbles like Iniesta and he passes like Xavi,” his former youth coach Matt Pilkington stated around the time of his debut.
Fabregas had broken into the team as a mercurial youngster, and quickly stepped up to fill the void left by Patrick Vieira. Injuries prevented Zelalem from ever gaining such an opportunity, and he found his career quickly derailing as he could no longer play to the best of his ability.
He was a young midfielder who had caught the eye of a manager and squad whom had seen the likes of Fabregas, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil light up the Emirates in the years preceding his debut, showing what an outstanding talent he was, but bad injury luck prevented yet another talent from hitting top form in North London.
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