One of the uncertainties each summer with regards to the academy players surrounds which of the remaining second year scholars will sign professional contracts.
This summer Arsenal have offered professional deals to Dan Casey, Louie Copley, Will Sweet, Cam’ron Ismail and Daniel Oyetunde.
It remains to be seen which players will step up and become fully-fledged members of Arsenal’s U21 squad but Copley, a talented midfielder, could certainly be a useful asset if he stays.
A player who was signed from West Ham’s academy as a schoolboy, Copley possesses an intriguing blend of physical and technical attributes.
The youngster is effective at making dangerous late runs into the box, as he demonstrated against Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup last season.
Copley also found the net for the U19s against Monaco in the UEFA Youth League, while he got his first goal for the U21s in the playoff clash against Manchester City at the end of the campaign.
A hard-working player, Copley has made encouraging progress in recent years and now seems ready to push on further in his development. With the likes of Salah-Eddine and Ismail Oulad M’hand leaving the club there could be plenty of opportunities for Copley to impress at U21 level if he stays.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird