Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
A title-winning club still buys 17-year-olds. The first team is for now. The next group is signed while they are still at Shamrock Rovers, Iberia 1999 and Independiente.
Pre-agreements do not fill a left wing this month. They fill a dressing room in two summers’ time.
The academy director’s job is to make sure those arrivals are good enough to train with the seniors, not only with the under-18s.
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Arsenal have already secured four young players who will join in 2027. Victor Ozhianvuna arrives first, in January. Andria Bartishvili and twins Holger and Edwin Quintero follow later.
Arteta was asked about the push for young talent.
“Well, it’s together as a club,” he said. “We know that if we want to constantly maintain this level and have the pathway already in-house, which is the best way, obviously, to bring players from the academy or from the youth teams to us, they need to be one of the best in the world at recruiting. Recruiting in the country, recruiting abroad, the best talent that we possibly can to give us the best chance to sustain that level.”
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Ozhianvuna, 17, is an attacking midfielder who can play off the left. He has been out since May with a muscle injury and missed Shamrock Rovers’ Conference League qualifying. He has senior League of Ireland minutes and an FAI Cup goal. Stephen Bradley wants him in the Ireland squad.
“There’s no one that can tell me that kid shouldn’t be in the Ireland squad,” Bradley said. “You don’t want to be blooding him in games that you have to win.
“I think they should put him in now so when the future comes, he’s ready. I promise you, get him in that camp and in 10 minutes he’ll show what he is about.”
Bartishvili, also 17, is a Georgian attacking midfielder with Iberia 1999. Under-21s coach Ramaz Svanadze told Football London: “He’s somebody who can make a real difference on the pitch. And he’s got the individual ball skills that are becoming increasingly rare in modern football, somebody who wants to pick the ball, take players on, use his technical dribbling skills very much like Kvaratskhelia himself.”
The Quintero twins joined in a deal that could reach £9million from Independiente. Both have played in Ecuador’s top flight. Edwin scored on his debut. Piero Hincapie said: “They are very good players, they are doing well and taking care of themselves. I hope they arrive in this great team in the best possible condition. We welcome them with open arms.”
All four are expected in pre-season next summer, with a chance to train with the first team. None of them solves October. They are the next Hale End intake from outside Hale End.
Said El Mala
Said El Mala
Zohran Mamdani
Zohran Mamdani