Mikel Arteta’s son Gabriel Arteta Bernal played for the Arsenal u17s against Watford in the Premier League Cup last week, according to a report.
Jeorge Bird reports for Arsenal Youth that Gabriel Arteta Bernal, the eldest son of Mikel Arteta, played for the Arsenal u17s against Watford in the Premier League Cup last week.
Arsenal drew the match 3-3, and there’s no confirmation on whether or not Gabriel will sign a contract with the club. The 16-year-old has also linked up with Arsenal pre-season training camps in the past, and unlike his father he plays as a right winger.
The youngster’s previous involvement in Arsenal’s pre-season training camp in 2023 was actually helping out the coaching staff, rather than joining in with the drills as a player.
Though it would have been a good experience for Gabriel, then just 14 years old, it doesn’t tell us much about his own footballing ability.
On top of that, Arsenal generally use rotated teams in the Premier League Cup, so it’s not a surprise that Gabriel got his recent opportunity to play for the Gunners in the competition.
With all that in mind, Arsenal still have a very competitive academy system, and if Gabriel does enough to earn a contract then it will be because he deserves one. But again, at this stage, there’s no suggestion he’s about to sign on permanently.