Arsenal have watched their Premier League rivals make hundreds of millions from academy graduates, with the Gunners now looking to change direction to do similar
Max Dowman is the jewel in the Arsenal crown, but there is plenty of talent being produced alongside him
Max Dowman is the jewel in the Arsenal crown, but there is plenty of talent being produced alongside him(Image: PA)
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Arsenal have produced the most talked-about and exciting young player of his generation. Max Dowman will be the face of Arsenal and English football for the next decade and is destined to be a superstar of the future.
They have also got the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Marli Salmon who are huge talents and show that Arsenal are doing great things in terms of scouting, youth development and coaching. Arsenal still carry such a weight of tradition, history and class.
But there is a clear issue below where the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea have stolen a march on Arsenal.
City and Chelsea are renowned for having the best academies where they are producing young players on an industrial scale - and it is a huge money-making exercise.
Twenty years ago, academies were all about getting players into the first team and yet the Premier League's Elite Player Performance Plan also made it about producing players to give them a good career and to also sell them on.
That is in no way a criticism of City or Chelsea because actually they are helping young players enjoy big careers which has to be a positive for football and the players involved.
But in doing so, it also maximises their revenue, helps the club’s finances and it feels more important than ever when meeting the demands of Profit and Sustainability Rules.
City have made £256m in last 5 years on academy sales - and that does not even include sell-on clauses. And you probably even forgot that Jeremie Frimpong started there as a nine-year-old. Morgan Rogers also went through City.
Cole Palmer of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea
Manchester City sold Cole Palmer to Chelsea for £42.5m after just 19 Premier League appearances(Image: (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images))
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It has become a brilliant conveyor belt of talent which almost runs independently from the first team (which is the way it should be in the eyes of many scouts) and is a shining light of youth development.
And this is where Arsenal need to make up ground. And further proof of that is Arsenal’s results which have been disappointing or inconsistent depending which way you look at it.
Two unrelated things are happening because Per Mertesacker is leaving his role as academy director at the end of the season.
Mertesacker, who defended Arsenal’s disappointing UEFA Youth League campaign recently, is a great figurehead, loved by players’ families and the scouts alike.
But he is leaving after eight years in the role and, meanwhile, James Ellis left his role as the club’s technical director last week. While Mertesacker’s exit was expected, Ellis’s departure was a shock.
Per Mertesacker will leave his role as Arsenal's Academy Manager at the end of the season
Per Mertesacker will leave his role as Arsenal's Academy Manager at the end of the season(Image: Getty Images)
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Ellis used to work alongside former technical director Edu who was focused on the first team and player recruitment. After Edu’s departure, Andrea Berta arrived as sporting director and Ellis was soon after charged with overseeing an overhaul of the academy set-up.
Ellis had to put together a business plan as much as one to develop young players while also needing to find a new academy director.
Ellis was known as being passionate and emotive and had put his heart and soul into the new plan. He divided opinion among some but that is the case for everyone in football because it is such a notoriously cliquey village.
But his departure would suggest the new academy director - Jim Fraser, formerly of Chelsea has been among those linked - will actually report into Berta who clearly has a growing power base at Arsenal.
Jaden Dixon's £3m move from Stoke is indicative of the changes at Arsenal
Jaden Dixon's £3m move from Stoke is indicative of the changes at Arsenal
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It also signals a big change in direction. They just have not had enough successes in terms of sales, sell-ons and clauses. That is the crux of the issue.
Ayden Heaven went to Manchester United and may or may not make it at Old Trafford. Chido Obi-Martin attracted a lot of headlines but the young striker has not really made a first team impact at United after defecting from Arsenal.
Better examples are young Danish striker Mika Biereth who developed at Arsenal, joined Sturm Graz for £4m and was sold on to Monaco for £12m. That is what Arsenal are looking for. But on the scale of City and Chelsea.
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They also did something interesting when they paid £1m for Tommy Setford from Ajax as a teenager. They also paid around £3m for Jaden Dixon from Stoke in the January window. They need to invest to improve and then develop.
It is vital for Arsenal as a club to move forward. They have fallen behind in this part of their plan. But now there is a clear determination to make up ground - and yet have to put the right people in place to take them where they need to be.
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