Arsenal are well equipped to go all the way in their battle for the Premier League title this season, having brushed up their squad after three successive second-place finishes.
But while the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze have all established themselves as star members after big-money summer transfers, Mikel Arteta has ensured the Hale End academy has remained as important and influential as it has ever been, with some talented teenagers intermingled with the senior squad in north London.
Under Arteta’s wing, Arsenal have made incremental progress, with silverware the only thing missing since the Spanish coach replaced Unai Emery in 2019 and took his squad to the FA Cup final and won the trophy.
He has maintained his upward trajectory by entrusting Arsenal’s academy with regular opportunities.
Ethan Nwaneri
Brentford
15 years, 5 months, 28 days
Max Dowman
Leeds
15 years, 7 months, 23 days
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Man City
17 years, 11 months, 27 days
Marquinhos
Brentford
19 years, 5 months, 11 days
Folarin Balogun
Brentford
20 years, 1 month, 10 days
Arsenal have so many exciting stars looking to establish themselves as the next Bukayo Saka or the new Declan Rice. The latter might not have cut his teeth with the Gunners, but they are certainly reaping the rewards.
Declan Rice's journey to superstardom
Rice is one of the best midfielders in the world. He is one of the first names on the team sheet for both club and country, and, aged 26, he has matured into a leader as well as a technical and athletic phenomenon.
It all started at West Ham United.
David Moyes nurtured his young protege to the fore and shaped him into the player he is today. Arsenal paid £105m for the Hammers man’s signature in 2023, with Rice having led his side to the Conference League title a month before.
Once a member of Chelsea’s Cobham academy, Rice is unquestionably one of the most talented Englishmen to have emerged in recent years, having evolved from a defender to a six to a first-class all-rounder.
The north London club are well stocked in the engine room, but with the likes of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri all emerging from Hale End in recent years, it might be nice to see an all-action midfielder burst onto the scene and help continue Arteta’s remarkable rise.
After all, who better to learn from than Rice?
Jack Wilshere’s declaration that Rice is a one-of-a-kind player and an inspiration and teacher for someone like Dowman is right on the money, but there’s actually an exciting Hale End midfielder who could more beneficially absorb the fruits of the Three Lions star’s labours over the coming months and years.
Arsenal's new version of Rice
Rice is one of the best English midfielders of his generation, and it’s for this reason that teenager Ife Ibrahim will be keen to take a leaf or two from the 26-year-old’s book as he looks to make his way from the Emirates academy into Arteta’s senior squad.
The London-born prospect has attracted praise for his performances at youth level this season and has enjoyed his first two caps for England U18s, having made his bow only a few weeks ago.
With the right moves over the next few years, Ibrahim could be just the player to learn from Rice and develop into a similarly special midfielder at the highest level, with the 17-year-old having already edged his way into U21 action at Arsenal despite his youth an inexperience.
Said to have a bit of “Vieira and Diaby” about him by analyst Harvey Diamonds, the rangy midfielder is adept at breaking up play and keeping things ticking from the base of the centre. He might not be the flashiest, but this is the kid of counterpoint you need against, say, someone like Nwaneri up ahead, creating and adding to the attack.
Whether Ibrahim even scratches the same ballpark as Rice in the future is, of course, another question entirely, but he has the physicality and progressive nature to succeed in the Premier League and learn some tricks from the superstar’s trade.
Having featured 54 times for Arsenal’s various development levels, Ibrahim has plenty of experience under his belt and has even featured three times against senior oppposition, in the EFL Trophy, this season, with data from Sofascore showing us that he won 59% of his duels across those three outings, averaging two interceptions per game and completing 87% of his passes. The teenager’s heat map suggests he covered plenty of ground across the midfield, stretching back to cover his defenders and barrelling forward when the chance presented itself.
This is all to say that Arsenal have a gem on their hands, one of many glittering underneath the surface level of Arteta’s squad. Given the need for a physical profile at number six to contrast with the elegance of Zubimendi, it might just be that Arteta strikes the jackpot once again with a talented academy star, free to grow into their skin and feeling the trust from the boss.
As with Rice (and Vieira, for that matter), Ibrahim appears to have a propensity for using his muscular frame and sharp bursts of pace to hold off opponents and dart upfield.
Arsenal youth correspondent Jeorge Bird has already confirmed that Arteta has welcomed the youngster into some senior training sessions over the past year, clearly with a view toward full integration down the line.
It wouldn’t be the first time Arteta has done such a thing.
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