Five young Arsenal players that could feature at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Bukayo Saka in action


Five young Arsenal players that could feature at the 2022 World Cup


By Oscar Maung-Haley

With a string of Gunners players currently starring at Euro 2020, we take a look at which youngsters might feature at the next international tournament – the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.


Bukayo Saka

Bukayo Saka

We’ll start with the most obvious name.

Barring any major injuries or a serious drop in form, Bukayo Saka will be at the World Cup in 2022.

While seven goals in 46 appearances might not seem that impressive, it’s important to remember that Saka is just 19.

If anything, the fact that he’s scored that many goals at such a young age emphasises just how big a talent Saka is.

Another thing in his favour is that he offers versatility in abundance, too.

This season, Saka has showed that he is capable of performing at a high level, both as a left wing-back or a right winger.

That sort of positional fluidity could be something that is incredibly useful for England, especially given how hot conditions will be in Qatar.


Emile Smith Rowe

Emile Smith Rowe

Smith Rowe enjoyed a breakthrough campaign for the Gunners this year, featuring 33 times.

Known for his creative and technical quality, Smith Rowe is comfortable operating in behind a central striker or even out wide.

For the 20-year-old to make the breakthrough to the senior England side, he must continue to improve his playing time and hope that coincides with an improvement on the pitch for Arsenal as a whole.

If you look at the 2018 Three Lions squad, you can see it was lacking in really technically gifted midfielders.

But now that isn’t the case.

And with the likes of Mason Mount, Jack Grealish, and Phil Foden all currently ahead of Smith Rowe, he faces a real challenge to reach that level in just over a year. 


Joe Willock

Joe Willock

Another player who will be hopeful of breaking into the England set up is midfielder Joe Willock, who showed just what he can offer during a recent loan spell at Newcastle United.

Willock was instrumental in helping the Magpies climb away from the relegation zone, scoring eight goals in just 14 appearances.

Offering dynamism and a goal threat in the middle of the park, the 21-year-old scored seven goals in seven consecutive Premier League games.

In order for Willock to make the step up to the seniors, he needs to continue to play regularly.

Sadly though, that might not be at Arsenal, with rumours aplenty that he could be sold this summer to generate some cash for the transfer kitty.

If Arsenal aren’t willing to sell but can’t find a spot for him in the starting line-up, Willock should be loaned out again to allow him to continue his development.


Gabriel

Gabriel Magalhaes

Gabriel Magalhaes is the next name on our list.

After an up and down debut season for the Gunners, he was recently named in Brazil’s Olympic squad.

And while Gabriel has yet to make his full international debut that could all change in the build-up to the finals.

In Brazil’s most recent squad for the Copa America, their centre backs called up were Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Eder Militao and Felipe.

With Silva (36) and Felipe (32) getting up there in age, it would make sense for Brazil to include Gabriel in their build-up to Qatar.

Gabriel would not displace Marquinhos but he could provide some competition to Eder Militao for a starting spot.

Additionally, Gabriel has the added advantage of being left footed too, which would offer Brazil another wrinkle in the way they build from the back.


William Saliba

William Saliba

Saliba is perhaps the most unlikely of the five to be involved in the 2022 World Cup.

Signed for £27m from Saint-Etienne in 2019, Saliba has yet to play a single senior minute for Arsenal.

Loaned back to Saint-Etienne after he signed, Saliba was again loaned out last season after Mikel Arteta did not select him in Arsenal’s competitive squads.

Having appeared at nearly every international age-grade for France, Saliba remains a somewhat unknown commodity.

Clearly, there is potential there, otherwise Arsenal would not have forked out such a large outlay.

But given his lack of playing time for Arsenal, and the sheer amount of talent in front of him when it comes to the French national side, it might be sometime before we see Saliba start for Les Bleus.


Photo credit: Getty Images

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