Arsenal’s dismal ending to the league campaign might not be scrutinised if they clinch the Europa League trophy defeating Chelsea in an all-English final. A win would see them reclaiming a place among Europe’s elites as well as a boost in the transfer market to lure in top talents.
The Gunners, meanwhile, should focus on keeping hold of their academy prospects and have reportedly opened contract talks with their teenager duo Tyreece John-Jules and Xavier Amaech amid interest from Bayern Munich and a host of other Bundesliga outfits, as reported by Goal.
Arsenal have an array of gifted youngsters progressing through the youth ranks at Hale End. But the uncertainty over first-team football has seen many of them plying their trade abroad for regular minutes.
They have lost the service of Chris Willock to Benfica, Stephy Mavididi to Juventus and Marcus McGuane to Barcelona in the recent past, and must convince these prospects to commit their future agreeing to the offered extensions.
The saga of Serge Gnabry deserves mention here. The youngster was not handed enough minutes to shine in North London before being offloaded to Werder Bremen back in the summer of 2016. There he exhibited his on-field excellence which earned him a high-profile transfer to Bayern Munich. The winger is now a regular starter for the Bavarians and has earned a vital status in Joachim Löw’s Die Mannschaft squad.
John-Jules is viewed as a prolific ‘number 9′ having notched 16 goals in 29 youth appearances in the Gunners’ kit. Amaechi, on the other hand, is highly rated by Bayern for his dynamic presence down the wide areas. He has notched four goals and laid on five assists for his teammates in 14 outings for the U23s and is tipped to script a similar success story as of Jadon Sancho ( who has been majestic for Borussia Dortmund) if he decides to join the German giants.
Their current contract runs out in 2020, and Unai Emery opted to include them with the seniors back in March to take part in a warm-weather training camp in Dubai. The duo also appeared in a friendly fixture against Al Nasr where John-Jules scored the winner after coming on as a second-half substitute.
Although the gaffer intended to make them feel relevant and a part of his future plannings, it might take more effort to tie them down for years to come. This, however, should be prioritised over transfers to ward off yet another setback in a period of transition.
