Arsenal have established themselves as a haven for young talent throughout Arsene Wenger’s spell in charge in North London, with the French boss regularly handing opportunities to young players. However, in the extremely competitive modern era of football it’s becoming increasingly difficult for youngsters to make their mark.
Signings are far more expensive these days, meaning managers are more reluctant to drop them if things aren’t going too well, whilst the evolution of social media creates a potentially toxic atmosphere for young players if things aren’t going swimmingly- and clubs need to protect their young assets as a result.
New stats published by Sky Sports show Arsenal are managing their young assets very well though, with the Gunners giving academy graduates more playing time in the Premier League than any other club- a total of 6,628 minutes, around 19.4% of the campaign.
Hector Bellerin was the player who contributed most to that tally, with the other five players used being Francis Coquelin, Emiliano Martinez, Alex Iwobi, Kieran Gibbs and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. The numbers could be enhanced next season too, despite the likely departure of England international Gibbs.
Bellerin is first-choice at right-back for Arsenal, whilst both Iwobi and Coquelin are also regulars in the set-up. A potential departure for goalkeeper David Ospina may leave young Emiliano Martinez as Petr Cech’s understudy, whilst Maitland-Niles could get opportunities in a wing-back role after featuring in that area during pre-season.
The Gunners also have the likes of Reiss Nelson knocking on the door of the first-team following impressive performances in pre-season and it shows that Wenger is ready to continue utilising young assets should the opportunity present itself, despite the growing fees in the transfer market.
Iwobi in particular will hope for regular opportunities next season, particularly if the Gunners fail to keep hold of Alexis Sanchez, and it’s going to be crucial for the young Nigerian due to the World Cup next summer- where Iwobi will hope to feature, should his nation qualify.
On top of the graduates from Arsenal’s own academy, the Gunnera also have a number of homegrown assets being utilised in their squad- including Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, all of whom are important players for the Gunners.
It’s certainly a positive for Arsenal to continue being able to utilise young assets and Wenger will hope for another breakthrough star in the first-team to follow the path laid out by Hector Bellerin.