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.
3Reiss Nelson
Nelson didn’t have as many minutes for Hoffenheim as he would’ve wanted this season, but he still impressed in his limited game time in the Bundesliga.
Seven goals in 773 minutes (one every 110) is a great record for a teenager in one of Europe’s top five leagues and the Champions League.
Like Saka, Nelson has earned the chance to show he can at least make himself a squad option for the first team next season, and pre-season is the place to do so.