Arsenal academy striker Luke Plange played for Queens Park Rangers on trial against Swansea City at the weekend.

Luke Plange with the Arsenal academy (Photo via Plange on Instagram)
Luke Plange with the Arsenal academy (Photo via Plange on Instagram)

Swansea City confirmed in their weekend post-match report that Luke Plange started and played the full 90 minutes for away side Queens Park Rangers.

Plange is an 18-year-old striker currently on the books at Arsenal, and he’s made 10 appearances for the u18s in the league and the FA Youth Cup this season, scoring four goals.

Yet Arsenal are reportedly unlikely to offer him professional terms, so with his scholarship deal coming to an end this summer, he’s searching for a new club. The exit will end his 10-year association with the Gunners.

Plange’s goal record was decent for the u18s, scoring seven in just under 1,000 minutes for the side – one every 142 minutes.

But he never fully established himself as a starter, and at this point, he really needed to be making the step up to the u23s to earn a professional deal.

Given his struggles to start for the u18s regularly in his final season of eligibility at that level, a move is probably the best thing for him.

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