Julio Pleguezuelo is hopeful that the club will allow him to leave on loan in the summer.

Pleguezuelo, who arrived from Barcelona in 2013 when he was just 16, has not yet been involved with the first team, but is a highly-rated centreback who has made 14 appearances for the u21s this season in the league and seven in the UEFA Youth League (scoring two in that competition).

Now he’s hopeful that he will get the chance to play regularly at a higher level next season and follow in the footsteps of all those other Arsenal youngsters who’ve went out on loan to return to the club and claim a starting spot.

“We are currently top of the under-21 league and I believe we can go on to win it,” Pleguezuelo said.

ulio Pleguezuelo of Arsenal in action against Dominic Solanke of Chelsea during the FA Youth Cup Semi Final second leg match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on April 17, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
ulio Pleguezuelo of Arsenal in action against Dominic Solanke of Chelsea during the FA Youth Cup Semi Final second leg match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on April 17, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

“I have not yet travelled with the first team and my hope is that I will do so between now and the end of the season and have a good pre-season and hopefully go out on loan next year to gain first-team experience.

“I really benefit from training with the first team because the pace and technical level is so much higher,” he added.

“This year has been a very good year for me after the injuries I have suffered in previous seasons.

“I have not missed a game or training and so I have been able to develop and improve. I have done a lot of work in the gym and I feel stronger and faster and better prepared to prevent injuries. Because I am playing and training regularly I have improved my technical ability.

“I have trained quite a lot with the first team this year. In training games I have mostly played as a centre back but as a right back and as a holding midfielder too.

“I have had to play against Theo and Olivier and they both present very different challenges and you have to play against them differently.”

He is most often described as agile, composed and stylish.