Unai Emery has suggested previously that the club would like to add a defender and winger to the squad this month. But with the Spaniard admitting the club can only sign loan players currently, it’s worth taking a look at which young players could possibly take their game to the next level in the second half of the season.
Coaching staff at the club believe that young Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos could be the answer to the clubs defensive woes and Arsenal fans will certainly hope so. Aged just 21, he has time to grow into a top class defender and during his brief spell in the first team last season we definitely saw evidence of his qualities. Strong, tall, but fairly fast for his size, he brings qualities to Arsenal’s defence that the clubs other options do not. The Gunners have plenty of young attacking players coming through the ranks, but Mavropanos is one of the few promising defensive talents.
Elsewhere 21-year-old Ainsley Maitland-Niles is already established in the first team picture, but with the Gunners on the lookout for a new winger in the transfer market, the Englishman believes he is ready to play further forward and start scoring frequently. He played on the right wing at Anfield and despite the team’s poor show, his performance was one of the few positives from the night, scoring the opening goal.
A recent injury to 18-year-old Emile Smith-Rowe has seen him drift off the radar a little, but the young Englishman has already shown his quality in the Europa League this season. The diminutive attack minded midfielder is capable of playing on the wing or as an advanced midfielder. In Arsenal’s away game against Vorskla in the Europa League, Smith-Rowe managed to net the game-winning goal in a 3-0 win for the Gunners, he managed a very impressive PB score of 220 in this outing, highlighting his PB potential in the long term.
Another English talent, Bukayo Saka has started to appear in the first team squad lately due to injuries to first teamers. Saka is just 17-year-old and despite being very raw, looks to be the type of player the club are really missing at the moment. A direct winger that has a good end product.
And finally, Reiss Nelson. He won’t be back until the summer, but the future looks very bright for Nelson. The English winger could certainly save the club some money when he returns next season. Capable of playing as a number ten or out wide, the 19-year-old is very highly rated at the club and has earned European recognition due to his impressive performances for Hoffenheim. With Emery not looking to recall him this month, fans will hope he continues to show progress in the second half of the Bundesliga season. Jadon Sancho and Callum Hudson-Odoi’s meteoric rises recently
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