Arsenal have travelled to Spain for a pre-season training camp at La Manga.
The Gunners enjoyed a good holiday because they weren’t involved in the Club World Cup, and many of their players have reported back to get ready for the new season.
Mikel Arteta has called up Max Dowman to pre-season training, but he isn’t the only young player who has been given the opportunity.
Several others have joined the senior squad in Spain, including a very special young defender.
Marli Salmon spotted in Arsenal’s pre-season camp in Spain
The Arsenal academy is one of the best in the country.
Hale End has produced the likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly over the last few years, and there are several more coming through the ranks.
Dowman is the most exciting young talent at Arsenal right now, but there are a few others who have shown real promise as well.
One of them is young Marli Salmon.
The 15-year-old is one of the best central defenders of his age in the country, and people inside Arsenal rate him very highly.
Salmon has been likened to William Saliba, who is widely regarded by Arsenal fans as the best centre-back in the world today.
The youngster seems to have caught Mikel Arteta’s eye, and he was spotted training with the first team in Spain.
It will be interesting to see if he gets a seat on the plane to Asia later this month.
Marli Salmon in action during an Arsenal Training Session
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Five other Arsenal academy players have also travelled to the pre-season camp
Dowman and Salmon are the two most eye-catching youngsters among the senior group, but Arteta has called up a few others as well.
Jeorge Bird has confirmed that Harrison Dudziak, Maldini Kacurri, Ismael Kabia, Josh Nichols and Andre Harriman-Annous are all in Spain with the senior team.
All of the above names are hoping to be on the flight to Singapore and Hong Kong, but there won’t be space for everyone.
We think Dowman will definitely be going, and the rest will have to impress Arteta over the next few days at the training camp in Spain to get the nod.