As Arsenal prepare to travel to the USA for the start of their pre-season tour, we’re looking at which academy prospects should be joining them on the trip.
Before we go any further, it’s worth mentioning that this isn’t an easy decision for the Arsenal coaches. They already have a number of youth friendlies scheduled in England, so it’s not worth sending a player off to America if they’re not going to feature at all.
Instead, the club should only take along the very top prospects who could end up staking a claim for first-team spots when the season gets underway. Let’s have a look at the top five in contention.
2Bukayo Saka
Arguably Arsenal’s Academy Player of the Season, Saka was fantastic in 2018/19, scoring 14 goals and assisting 10 from the wing, as well as winning three penalties.
The 17-year-old was man-of-the-match in his only senior start against Qarabag, and he’s only improved his game under Freddie Ljungberg. He looks nailed-on to join the senior side on tour, after joining them in training this week.
The Gunners are clearly trying to invest in a new winger this summer, but even if they do, they’ll still need more rotation/backup options.