Arsenal are in the process of making a decision on whether to allow Costa Rican striker Joel Campbell to stay on loan at Spanish side Real Betis for another season. The striker said himself that he is happy to stay in Spain for another season to prove himself to Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal and Betis fans.
When Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain moved to Arsenal from Southampton, Arsenal fans were overjoyed with the fact that we had beat all the top clubs for a young player who looked like a future world beater. This season I have been disappointed with him and have come to the conclusion that his growth has stunted this season.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is the first to admit that this season at Arsenal has been a disappointing one for him. This is mainly because he has not really pushed on after a great debut campaign when he signed from Southampton for around £15 million just before turning 18.
Now 19-years old and having scored just two goals for Arsenal this season, his best game recently came for England against San Marino.
Ryo Miyaichi has been an Arsenal player for over two years now, but he is still waiting to make his Premier League debut for the club. The 20-year old is well on the road to recovery after picking up an ankle injury during his recent loan spell at Wigan Athletic. The Japanese international is hoping to be fit enough to take part in the pre-season training and tours with Arsenal and finally force himself into first team contention.
In light of what Roy Hodgsen said about the lack of English footballers playing in the Premier League, Arsene Wenger spoke about the English talent he had in the Arsenal ranks. Wenger told Arsenal.com about the English divisions that implicate upcoming talent as well as the understanding that all the players want to play in the best league, suggesting that if all the highest quality of players are of different nationalities to English then its inevitable that there will be a decline in English players at the best clubs.
When Arsene Wenger agreed to let Johan Djourou leave Arsenal in January to play for the Bundesliga club Hannover, he may have been hoping that one of the young players coming through the ranks at Arsenal would step up and push for the first team. One of the most promising of the academy defenders is now likely to be playing against Djourou next season, as Martin Angha has signed a pre-contract agreement to play for Nurnberg from next season.
The young Englishman was purchased by Arsenal from Southampton in the summer of 2011 for a fee believed to be in the region of £12million (plus add ons), and burst onto the scene against the likes Manchester City, Manchester United and AC Milan.
Which Arsenal youngsters can breakthrough to our first team? by KJ
After watching our U19s go agonisingly close to the Next Generation finals, it's got me thinking, who would go onto to be first teamers? This has always been a problem for any team in the world. Your youngsters look brilliant for the reserves but then for a multitude of reasons, they rarely make it to the first team squad, let alone to being in the starting XI.
The Arsenal NextGen run could not quite go all the way to the final, following defeat to Chelsea in the semi-final. The pitch at Lake Como was absolutely terrible, but the teams managed to put on a very good game with some real quality. After it finished 3-3 at full time, the game went to extra time, and Chelsea managed to grab a late winner with just five minutes remaining before a penalty shoot out.
Robert Pires spent six seasons at Arsenal, from 2000-2006 and, like a lot of former Gunners, keeps the club close to his heart and follows what is happening. When he was at the club, we were enjoying a great period of success, winning two Premier League titles and three FA cups, as well as making it to the final of the Champions League, which was his last game for the Gunners before moving to Villareal.
How Ramsey will be integral for Arsenal in years to come by KJ
Aaron Ramsey has always caused controversy amongst the Gunners fans. Some say he's finished and needs to be sold as soon as possible, others feel he needs to be given a chance as he's only young and the final faction think that he's talented and has handled his first two proper seasons after his injury very well.
Arsenal's investment in youth development and the Academy seems to be paying dividends, with the under 19s having reached the semi-finals of the European NextGen competition after beating CSKA Moscow at the Emirates Stadium last night. That means that the young Arsenal players are just two games away from winning the whole thing.
Stuart Pearce has lost his battle with Roy Hodgson over the Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, but the manager of the England under 21 side is still hoping to get another Gunner from the first team to join his squad for the European Championship in Israel this summer.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was the star of the show for England against San Marion on Friday, and he already has 10 caps and two goals at senior level.
There is a story in the papers today about the possibility of Arsenal making a summer move for the 18-year old Nathaniel Chalobah. The defensively minded midfielder is currently on loan at Watford until the end of the season, and is hoping to travel with the England under 21 squad ti Israel for the European Championships this summer.
There is still the small matter of one more round of games to get through in this international break, but hopefully Arsenal will not lose any more players to injury. Next Saturday sees the visit of Reading to the Emirates stadium in the Premier League, and it looks like Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott will definitely miss the game.
A big part of the footballing philosophy at Arsenal, especially since Arsene Wenger has been in charge, is the academy and youth development set up. Jack Wilshere is the most obvious example of why this is so important for the club, with his talent being matched by his drive and passion. This season has seen five key young players sign long term contracts, and there could soon be more new talent coming through into the first team.
Arsenal scouts and Arsene Wenger have been taking a very close look at the 16-year old striker Isaiah Brown apparently. The youngster from West Brom has also come to the attention of Chelsea, however, and the two London giants could be set for a summer scrap over his future.
The Gunners are preparing an offer of around £1 million to tempt the Baggies, apparently, but Chelsea could double that.
It seems as if Arsenal fans will have to wait even longer to see the talents of Ryo Miyaichi on display at the Emirates Stadium. If the player dubbed the Japanese Messi does not start having better luck, he may never make it as a Gunner, because he suffered another blow today on his return from injury.
It appears that Arsenal fans will soon see whether the board are serious about pushing the club forward and competing for major honours. We have been told for years that success was just around the corner, as soon as the Stadium debts were clear then the Gunners would be in great shape and would start competing with the big hitters in the transfer market and for trophies and titles.
Arsenal have battled their way to the quarter finals of the Nextgenseries, the competition that is in reality the youth version of the champions league.
The round of 16 was played in one game and Arsenal had to travel to the defending champions of last year Inter Milan.
Arsenal fans and Arsene Wenger can breathe a sigh of relief after the England under 21 manager Stuart Pearce revealed that he would not be taking Jack Wilshere with him to the European championships in Israel this summer. The young midfielder is eligible to play, as is Danny Welbeck from Manchester United, but they are both regular players in the senior squad now.
The loan system can have real benefits for clubs like Arsenal. Arsene Wenger is committed to having a strong academy system and trying to bring young players on and give them a chance in the team, but with almost every game seemingly a crucial one, it is a delicate balance between giving youngsters a chance and putting out a strong team.
Santi Cazorla has had a fantastic start to his career at Arsenal, scoring 11 Premier League goals and providing eight assists. The Spanish international can play anywhere across the midfield and has an eye for goal. For Spain, he has played with the likes of Andres Iniesta, Xavi, David Silva and Fabregas, so when a player really impresses him you know they must be something special.
It's alright for some. The UK based Arsenal fans and the players that actually play for the team have to put up with snow, sleet and freezing cold temperatures while being ripped off for everything from cigarettes and beer to council tax and train fares. Add to that the revelation that we have been snacking on Shergar and his friends and it's no surprise that the Arsenal loanee is not too upset at the prospect of spending another season on the South coast of Spain with Real Betis.
I will apologise in advance for the depressing disposition being potrayed in this article, however i do not feel i am exaggerating or being down beat for the sake of it. I love Arsenal but I feel to find solution you have to take an objective look at the problems of which there are many.
Arsenal signed the young Costa Rican striker Joel Campbell in the summer of 2011, beating the likes of Fiorentina and Sevilla to the promising young footballer. The Guuners were unable to use him, however, because they could not obtain a work permit. The forward was then loaned to the French side Lorient, where he spent a reasonably successful season, scoring four goals in his 26 appearances.
Emmanuel Frimpong is an Arsenal player we all know very well at the club. Unfortunately we know him for the wrong reasons such as his attitude and behaviour and unfortunately not his footballing ability. Today he has spoken of his desire to follow Jack Wilshere in his progress and make it as a big player at both club and international level.
Arsenal continue to search for young talent as part of the ongoing philosophy of the club, especially since Arsene Wenger took the reins in 1996. A young Brazilian footballer who was born that same year could be the latest recruit to the Arsenal academy, although he is only coming fpr an initial trial at the moment, according to Skysports.
Arsene Wenger was not surprised that Jack Wilshere took his Arsenal form on to the international stage and was voted Man of the Match, but he is a little concerned that too much responsibility and expectation will be heaped on the young man's shoulders. It is up to the coaching staff at Arsenal and England to help him in this respect says Wenger, but if he is managed right, then there is nothing to stop him becoming one of the all time greats for club and country.
When Arsene Wenger joined Arsenal back in 1996, he had already requested the signing of the French international midfielder Patrick Vieira from AC MIlan. That would turn out to be one of the most successful transfers ever, as Vieira was an integral part of the Gunners for the next nine seasons, the most successful period in Arsenal history.
The England U19s took on Denmark at Doncaster last night, and the star of the show was Arsenal's young striker Chuba Akpom, who scored two goals despite only playing the first 45 minutes. His replacement, Reading's Dominic Samuel, scored the third in the 3-1 win.
This means that Akpom has now scored five goals in four games for England this season, which augurs well for his future at Arsenal.
The summer of 2011 was pretty hectic as an Arsenal fan and ultimately was an extremely negative experience. We lost not one starter, not two starters but three starters in Clichy, Fabregas and Nasri. It wasn't helped by the fact that one of our biggest signings that window (before the mayhem on deadline day) was an 18 year old Englishman from league one that cost us more than £10 million.
Liam Brady is an Arsenal legend, there is no doubt about it, and when he finishes his fantastic job of running the youth academy in 2014, it is vital that Arsenal pick the right man to fill his shoes. I feel it should be somebody with a big connection to the club, and Dennis Bergkamp certainly fits that description.
Sebastian Svard – Denmark (Ghana), 2000-2005, 3 games, 0 goals
Whilst many young Gunners arrive at the club with an enormous promise and buckets of potential, few are signed with reputations as burgeoning as Svard. Bought in November 2000 from FC Kobenhavn's reserve side, Kjobenhavns Boldklub, the youngster had impressed Arsene Wenger after accomplished performances for Denmark's youth teams.
Arsenal are having a difficult season, there are no two ways about it, but there have been some positives as well, and the team is still in the FA cup, the champions league and in the race for a top four finish. I know that a top four finish is not enough for Arsenal fans, but if we get that this year, then Wenger will have done well in a tough season and we can push on with more investment and a stronger challenge next year.
Carl Jenkinson is a lifelong Arsenal fan and must have been over the moon to sign a long term contract with the Gunners recently. His performances earlier in the season, before Bacary Sagna recovered from his injury lay off from a broken leg, gained plaudits from Arsenal fans and football journalists alike.
With the comments Szczesny made today it made me realise we really could have the next generation of a real competitive club which is full of true supporting players who will be playing their hearts out for this club week in week out.
Ever since Arsene Wenger took over as the manager of Arsenal Football Club back in 1996, the Frenchman has made the academy and youth development parts of the club very important. Ideally, Wenger would like to follow the Barcelona example of being able to field a whole team of players who have come through the Arsenal ranks.
Arsenal are to open football training schools across India this summer to develop young footballers in India and give thousands of children across the country somewhere to learn and play safely away from the dangerous streets.
This move will be beneficial for Arsenal and India as the club can train young players and potentially sign them if they begin to show a real talent in the game.
There is no doubt that Dennis Bergkamp is seen by Arsenal supporters as one of our greatest ever heroes along with other legends like Thierry Henry and Tony Adams, and it is great news that the Dutchman is going to be rewarded with a statue of his own at the Emirates this summer.
