The Daily Mail has revealed that Arsenal will earn over £80 million this summer from selling academy players, but manager Mikel Arteta has been criticised for his reluctance to use homegrown talent.
The recent transfer of 16-year-old starlet Obi-Martin to Manchester United was confirmed. Earlier this summer, Arsenal’s promising academy midfielder, Dubeiry, and defender, Walters, also moved to Brighton and Luton, respectively. Arsenal, reportedly, were keen on keeping both players and had offered them contract extensions with salary increases, but the players opted to move to clubs where they believed they could gain first-team experience faster.
Arsenal are now disappointed at losing Martin. They recognise his talent – he scored 32 goals for Arsenal’s U18 team, breaking a club record – and were eager to keep the talented youngster. However, after discussions with Arteta about his future development, Martin remained unconvinced. This has left Arsenal feeling frustrated, as players are expressing significant doubts about their future at the club. These concerns extend beyond Martin, impacting other Arsenal academy graduates.
Arsenal are set to profit significantly from the sale of young players this summer. Smith-Rowe joined Fulham for £35 million, and Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah are also expected to secure transfers in the coming days, generating £10 million and £35 million in transfer fees, respectively.
However, the club’s inability to retain young talent is a cause for concern. The Daily Mail suggests that Arteta’s eagerness to win the Premier League title, having failed to do so during his tenure, has led him to shy away from utilising academy players in the first team. This was particularly evident last December when Arsenal had already secured top spot in their Champions League group, yet Arteta still opted not to give any playing time to academy stars, Nwankwo, Sosa, and Walters, during the match against Eindhoven. This decision has attracted criticism.
However, The Mail is optimistic that Arteta has recognised his shortcomings and will give more opportunities to homegrown talents in the upcoming season.
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