Arsenal have confirmed seven new professional contracts for their academy players, with the septet signing their new deals this week.

Posting on the official website on Thursday, Arsenal confirmed seven new professional contracts for their academy players. Let’s take a look at each of the seven to commit their futures this week.

Harrison Dudziak

Dudziak is a midfielder, and he split his time between the Arsenal u18s, u19s, and u21s last season.

The 18-year-old played the majority of his minutes in the u18 Premier League, so it’s no surprise that all of his nine goal contributions (two goals, seven assists) came in that competition.

He seemed to improve as the campaign went on, racking up eight of his nine goals and assists in the final three months. He’ll now look to carry that form into u21 football more regularly.

Seb Ferdinand

Ferdinand had a relatively quiet season amid some injury setbacks, making 18 appearances for a total of less than 1,000 minutes in total.

Given that context, it was encouraging to see the winger still providing four goals and three assists for the season, particularly given three of those goal contributions came in the EFL Trophy against senior opposition.

Now he has his new deal, the challenge for Ferdinand will be to prove his fitness in 2024/25.

Ismeal Kabia

Kabia is another player who had to contend with injuries in 2023/24, only making his first appearance of the campaign in December.

The winger is a boyhood Arsenal fan and made 21 appearances for the academy from December onwards, playing a little over 1,200 minutes and directly contributing to four goals.

Maldini Kacurri

Albania u19 international Maldini Kacurri was a regular starter for the Arsenal u18s in the first half of the season under Jack Wilshere, and he started to step up to the u21s around the turn of the year.

Yet again, Kacurri’s season was disrupted by an injury that saw him miss the final two months of the season. He’ll hope he showed enough in his February starts for the u21s to make himself a regular in 2024/25.

Osman Kamara

Kamara was another to split his time between the Arsenal u18s and u21s, scoring for both teams in 2023/24, and he ended the season in double figures for goals.

With a couple of assists to his name as well, it was a productive campaign for the 17-year-old left-winger, and he’ll look to show he can hit those same numbers in the Premier League 2 next year.

Josh Nichols

Nichols started the season with the u18s at right-back, before playing every game for the u19s in the UEFA Youth League, and ending the year as a regular starter for the u21s in the Premier League 2.

With Reuell Walters leaving, Nichols will want to nail down that right-back spot in the Gunners’ top academy team next season.

Brian Okonkwo

Arsenal’s Arthur Okonkwo joined Wrexham AFC this summer, but his younger brother Brian (also a goalkeeper) has committed his future to the Gunners.

The club let go a lot of their academy goalkeepers this summer, but Okonkwo was one of few to survive the cull, and he’ll end up with a more important role next season as a result.

Okonkwo made six academy appearances last season, spending some of the campaign out on loan with non-league side Cheshunt FC.