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Theo Julienne (left) and Marcell Washington (right) – Image: Arsenal
Making your senior debut for Arsenal as an academy player is a hugely impressive achievement and there are a group of players who will be aiming to achieve that objective this season.
Out of the current academy prospects, Andre Harriman-Annous, Ife Ibrahim, Ismeal Kabia, Jack Porter, Brando Bailey-Joseph and Marli Salmon have already featured for the first-team in competitive games.
Here’s a look at five youngsters who could join them in that regard during 2026/27.
Ceadach O’Neill
A versatile prospect who joined Arsenal in 2024, O’Neill already has some experience of senior football having featured for his previous club Linfield, while he also has two senior caps for Northern Ireland.
Capable of playing as a striker (which is perhaps his best position), a midfielder or a winger, O’Neill is very hard-working and his playing style should endear him to Mikel Arteta.
Last season O’Neill was named on the bench for the first-team in two FA Cup fixtures and he is now also eligible to feature for the club in the Champions League, which will boost his chances of involvement.
Theo Julienne
A midfielder who can also play at right-back if required, Julienne specialises in breaking up play, while he also has good technical ability.
Although he needs to get greater distance on his passes at times, Julienne is very talented and also appears to have the game understanding required to make an impact in senior football.
In the second half of last season Julienne established himself as a key figure in the Arsenal U21 side and he will now be looking to continue that trajectory and edge closer to involvement with the senior setup.
Evan Mooney
A hard-working forward, Scotland youth international Mooney joined Arsenal midway through last season from St Mirren, for whom he played 23 times at senior level.
Mooney can also be deployed out wide and is capable of holding the ball up well and linking play effectively.
Having scored twice in ten appearances for Arsenal U21s last season, Mooney will be hoping that he will be able to get on the bench for the first-team in cup competitions in the near future, although he is unlikely to be registered in the Champions League due to the amount of time he has been at the club.
Demiane Agustien
Agustien gained much experience at U21 level with Arsenal last season following his move from Derby County.
A creative midfielder, he scored four goals for the U21s and also found the net in the UEFA Youth League.
Agustien isn’t afraid to try unconventional things on the pitch and will be targeting a callup in domestic cup fixtures this season.
Marcell Washington
It is anticipated that Washington will be the clear first-choice left-back for Arsenal U21s this season after Josh Ogunnaike seemingly declined the club’s offer of a professional contract.
Former Chelsea defender Washington has featured prominently for Arsenal U21s and relishes pushing forwards.
There is much competition at left-back in the first-team squad with the likes of Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly all capable of playing there, but Washington will hope for a callup in domestic cup games.
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There are other prospects who could potentially make their first-team debuts, although the likes of Brayden Clarke and Louie Copley are also candidates for loan spells.