With more and more young stars rising from Arsenal's famed Hale End academy to the hallowed turf of the Emirates stadium every season - we're asking how they do it, what effect does it have on future transfer plans, and who’s next up in this Golden Generation? With the help of journalist and Arsenal fan Phil Costa, Matt investigates just why Arsenal’s Academy is a joke!
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00:00In the past few seasons, Arsenal have been one of the best teams in Europe and whilst their football normally makes for very good viewing, this group of players have not won anything yet.
00:09But if you think it's all doom and gloom, you'd be wrong, far from it, as the future is in more than capable hands and feet.
00:16With more young stars rising from the club's famed Hale End Academy to the hallow turf of the Emirates Stadium, I'm wondering how they do it, what effect it has on future transfer plans and who's next.
00:26I'm Matt for 442 and with the help of journalist and massive Arsenal fan Phil Koster, we're going to be finding out just why Arsenal's academy is a talent goldmine.
00:38First things first though, it's been a disappointing season for the Gunners.
00:42They haven't reached the final of any competition and they fell short in their challenge for the title with Liverpool and Arsenal fans will be the first to admit it.
00:49We haven't really been good enough across the board, I mean going forward we've been too easy to figure out sometimes, we don't score a lot of goals.
00:59I mean I think we are not really a free scoring team anyway, well we haven't been over the last two seasons.
01:05Defensively as well, although our numbers are very good still, we managed to concede just really silly, stupid goals on a weekly basis, a lot of individual errors, which wasn't again happening at all during our last two title challenges.
01:20So I know there's been a lot of stuff going against us this year, but we haven't really been good enough and I think a lot of the players and more importantly Mikel Arteta will be more than honest about that.
01:32We just haven't been at a title challenging capacity, which is a big shame, especially considering Man City really dropped off this year as well.
01:40So that's how it goes.
01:43Sometimes it's going for you, sometimes it's not, but bad luck aside, we haven't been good enough either.
01:48But along with Phil's rather frank and honest assessment of the season, there have been two high points and they go by the names of Ethan Ranieri and Myles Lewis Skelly.
01:58The two Hellen graduates, that's Arsenal's world-renowned academy, have made the step up to men's football effortlessly, even if it hasn't come as a surprise.
02:06I mean the proof is in the pudding, Lewis Skelly is now a full England international, scoring on his debut and a regular starter in Arsenal's backline,
02:13whilst Ranieri would have arguably been the most exciting 17-year-old in Europe, if it wasn't for someone named Lamine Yamal.
02:20Arsenal fans knew about Ranieri, you know, he's been bubbling away in the background in the academy for some time now, so we've known about him.
02:28He hasn't been much of a surprise, but Lewis Skelly, to come into the team and do what he's done, I mean, none of us were this sure that he would be able to contribute so quickly or consistently.
02:38But there's something so special about his maturity, his leadership, his ability to face challenges head-on.
02:48And if you look at what he's done this season, you know, his Premier League debut, Champions League debut, all the various milestones,
02:56the goal for England on his debut as well, playing at the Bernabeu and managing to lock up Rodrigo.
03:00So, it's just on top of all of the nonsense about his character and the Haaland fallout with the celebration.
03:08I mean, this is a very grounded talent, a very special talent.
03:12And as I said earlier, we knew about Ranieri, so that's not to minimise his impact at all,
03:18because he was pretty huge for us around January, Christmas time, when Saka first got injured and he came into the team.
03:24He was scoring goals. He's got that Iron Robin-esque quality of being able to cut inside and then bend one into the far corner.
03:32You know, we're very fortunate to have them both coming through at the same time.
03:35They're like best mates. They've been together since they were eight years old at the club.
03:39So, that just adds a layer of pride and it makes it all the more special to see them here together, you know.
03:46This academy has been producing and crafting players for many a year, whether they've grown up in the academy or they've been brought in at a young age.
03:53And it's served its purpose twofold.
03:56Firstly, you have the ones who have made the first team and gone on to succeed, like Fabregas, Wilshere, Saka.
04:01And obviously, Luis Skelly and Ranieri have had great starts.
04:03But then, there is also the others that don't quite make a huge career at Arsenal, but still bring in big transfer fees.
04:10This alone is beneficial to the club, considering they spent nothing on them aside from youth training costs,
04:15but also for the financial fair play rules that see them able to make pure profit from the homegrown talent.
04:21I mean, the sales of Eddie Nketiah, Emil Smith-Rowe, Florian Balogun and Joe Willock have made the club just over £100 million of this pure profit in the last couple of years alone.
04:31But what exactly is it about the academy setup, the environment and their values that create such wonderful footballing talents?
04:38In general, we get a lot right at youth level because whether you're 6 or 16, there's a strong focus on the people we want you to be, as well as the professionals.
04:48You know, it's all about instilling values into the group, a work ethic, the ability to relate to your teammates, empathy, the drive to learn.
04:57And I think Per Mertesacker deserves a lot of credit for this. He's the head of the academy now for Arsenal.
05:03And he's been really influential in that. Obviously, in London, there is heaps of talent to take advantage of that are ready to be snapped up.
05:12So those initial scouts deserve huge credit.
05:15But once they're through your doors, a lot needs to happen before they even end up signing professional deals, let alone performing for the first team.
05:23So the fact that we're able to churn out this level of talent so consistently is a huge positive.
05:29And the club deserves praise for not only managing the players, but the people as well.
05:34I think they're all exemplary people.
05:36So with that said, who's next? Well, the cat's out the bag.
05:39Arteta said so in his press conference, a 15-year-old by the name of Max Dowman.
05:44There aren't any secrets in football anymore, you know, and there's only so long you can keep players like Max Dowman a secret
05:51because he's been involved in first team training.
05:54Mikel Arteta has spoken about him on several occasions now in press conferences and other interviews.
05:59He's scoring and assisting goals every week.
06:02There are youth highlights available on YouTube and on the Arsenal website.
06:06So you can see that there is something in this player.
06:10There is talent. There is something special.
06:12Primarily a number 10 with great vision, technique.
06:16He's got such a natural goal-scoring instinct and just the way he carries the ball is ridiculous.
06:22I mean, he's 15 years old now, but he's standing at maybe six feet tall.
06:27He's really elegant.
06:29He rides across the pitch when he's just, you know, brushing people off,
06:33using a shoulder here and an NFL-style stiff arm there to keep people away from him.
06:38Just everything you want in a modern midfielder, really.
06:42And every time I'm on social media, there's an update from the Arsenal Academy page saying,
06:47it's Max Dowman again. He scored another one.
06:49It's a hat-trick. It's for Arsenal.
06:52And Arteta have taken some stick for not providing pathways for young players.
06:56But for me, that's wrong.
06:58I think the issue is they weren't quite at the level, you know, whereas Myles Lewis-Gelly,
07:04Ethan Ranieri, they're all playing now every week.
07:07They're in the team playing Champions League semifinals.
07:10So I think the issue is if you're good enough, you will play under Arteta.
07:15And I think Max Dowman is absolutely ready.
07:17He went on the warm winter break with them to Dubai as well.
07:20They even flew his school teachers out there.
07:23So it just shows you what kind of esteem they hold him in.
07:26And it absolutely wouldn't surprise me if we see him more regularly next season.
07:30Right. I've seen and heard enough.
07:32Get your stocks in early.
07:33Max Dowman is going straight to the very top.
07:36OK, pressure aside.
07:38But bringing youngsters through does have an interesting side to it, though,
07:41as it may affect the club's plans in the transfer market.
07:44Many Arsenal fans would have argued that we needed three forwards this summer, to be honest.
07:50But the emergence of Moneri gives us cover behind Bakayo Saka on the right.
07:55He can deputise in the number eight role for Martin Odegaard, or even as the left eight, if needed.
08:00And Arteta has even spoken about him playing as a centre forward.
08:05He can be a support striker.
08:06So there are options with him.
08:08And I think he fulfills a valuable squad role, almost like a Trossard-esque player who can play across several roles.
08:16Left, right.
08:17Good goal threat.
08:18So he has minimised the need for three forwards.
08:21But I would still be very upset if two don't come in.
08:24And I think the same with Lewis Skelly, who I mentioned earlier, came through as a six or an eight in midfield,
08:29but has now been repurposed into a kind of inverted left back.
08:33So I'm not sure they will affect things too much, but maybe they have saved the need for a signing in either of their positions.
08:41You know, maybe we could have looked at a left back this summer.
08:43Maybe we could have looked at a right winger this summer.
08:45But with them there now, I don't think we'll need to.
08:49Although there are more important and pressing areas for Arsenal to be spending their money, I think.
08:54Obviously, it's not just the youngsters.
08:56There are players at the other end of the footballing spectrum who could affect Arteta's summer plans.
09:00Namely, the likes of Tierney, Partey, Zinchenko and Jorginho, who are all leaving on a free.
09:05This frees up wages and spaces in the squad.
09:08However, there has been one main pain point for Arsenal that needs a dressing in the transfer window.
09:12And probably with a big money signing.
09:15And it doesn't take a genius to figure out exactly where that is.
09:17It's the centre forward role.
09:19Arsenal need to do quite a bit of work this summer.
09:21The striker market is a really poor one at the moment.
09:24Maybe beyond Alexander Isak, who is the closest thing you will get to a sure thing.
09:28And even then, Newcastle probably won't sell if they're going to get Champions League football.
09:34So you might need to get creative with a Victor Jokeres, a Benjamin Seshko, Hugo Akitike, maybe even a Liam DeLapp,
09:42who could be an option with his relatively low release clause, £30 million,
09:46which is not much for a striker who's done very well in the Premier League this year.
09:50So the recent reporting says that Andrea Berta, the new sporting director, is a big fan of Jokeres and could push through a move this summer.
10:00But the club have been hesitant to go for him in the past for various reasons.
10:04So let's see what happens.
10:06I think if they are going to go for him, his price will need to come down a little bit.
10:09But I would be absolutely amazed if we don't bring a centre forward in because we've kind of neglected that area too much in recent seasons.
10:20I mean, even in January, we needed somebody and we didn't sign anyone.
10:23So it's a number one priority, key area of need.
10:28Who the name is, I don't know, couldn't tell you.
10:31But that is the absolute key area that we need to strengthen in this summer.
10:36But that's the issue that most clubs face.
10:38Do you spend big and with that set an impossibly high expectation on the incoming player?
10:42Or do you go cheaper and then try not to get mad when you realise there's a reason someone only cost a few pennies in the first place?
10:48Figuratively, of course.
10:49In reality, though, I can't think of too many players in recent years that have actually been worth their transfer fee,
10:55aside from the likes of Isak and obviously Erling Haaland.
10:58Dom Solanke, good team player, not enough goals.
11:01Rasmus Hojland has some potential, probably not £70 million worth.
11:05And the less said about Romelu Lukaku's move to Chelsea and Owen Nunes at Liverpool, the better.
11:10So with everything discussed today, from Arsenal's exciting youngsters to their recent lack of success,
11:15what does next season hold for the Gunners?
11:16What are the realistic aims?
11:19Realistic aims would be to win the league.
11:22I mean, I'm very happy with Arteta.
11:25I think he's done an amazing job to come in and transform this club because we were in the mud.
11:29Time could only go on for so long without winning anything, you know?
11:33And I think people are already starting to ask questions.
11:35We've fallen short a couple of years now, both in Europe and in the league.
11:39And it's been too long.
11:40It's been too long since Arsenal won a league.
11:42So I need to update my photo album because I think I was six last time when we last did it.
11:49Or, you know, however, I think it was 2004, so I was a bit older, maybe eight years old.
11:53But that's not good enough.
11:55The Costa photo album needs a blow of the cobwebs and another Polaroid in there because, yeah,
12:01these fans need something and they deserve something, I think.
12:05So that would be my feeling heading into next season.
12:08Well, what I'm hearing is that Arsenal are pretty good.
12:11They're almost there for the last few seasons, our testament to this.
12:14But they need to act fast and they need to have a good summer transfer window
12:17because I doubt there will be such a scarcity of challenges in the Premier League from next season.
12:22So who should Arsenal be signing to challenge for the Premier League in the summer transfer window?
12:27Could it be Alexander Izak?
12:29Conveniently on the latest edition of 442 that is actually out now.
12:32You can go and buy it in the stores.
12:34Or is there someone else that Arsenal should be signing?
12:36Let me know in the comments section down below.
12:38Subscribe to the channel whilst you're there and I'll see you in the next video.