Salah Oulad M'Hand was
probably the most heralded player in The Netherlands before an unfortunate
injury and a reported dispute between his family and former club Feyenoord.
Arsenal were able to
capitalise on the row, bringing the 18-year-old midfielder to The Emirates back
in August 2020.
The right-footed
youngster has been praised by fans and pundits alike throughout the age-grade
levels, but he's experienced a lot of drama for such a young footballer, which
can often damage development.
However, this season,
he's back with a vengeance and has been instrumental in Arsenal Under-23's
impressive start to their Premier League 2 Division 1 campaign.
There are still
questions surrounding the young star; can he carry his talents into the first
team, does he have the physicality needed to play in the Premier League, does
he have the right mindset?
But if his performances
so far this season and the record of Arsenal's academy are anything to go by,
then we can expect big things from Oulad M'Hand.
Who does he remind us
of?
Arsenal have been
blessed to have had some of Dutch football's greatest ever players pull on the
red and white shirt over the years.
Of course, everyone's
mind races straight to Dennis Bergkamp, who is comfortably in the top three
players ever to represent the club.
But in Marc Overmars and
Robin van Persie, Arsenal have also had two of the most exciting talents in
Europe, thanks to Dutch football.
Oulad M'Hand has the
touch and vision of a young Bergkamp and has been spoken about for much of his
career as if he has the potential to match the playmaker's talent and
achievements in years to come.
What does he bring to
the table?
He often finds pockets
of space between the holding midfielder and central defenders before picking up
possession and delivering a killer blow of a pass into his forward players'
feet.
He also has an eye for
goal, scoring two goals in five Premier League 2 Division matches so far this
season.
Crucially, he seems to
be getting better and better each week and just had his best performance in
Arsenal shirt against Brighton Under-23s.
He scored a brilliant
goal in that game but also looked like the player on the pitch most comfortable
in possession.
Suppose Arsenal can
develop Oulad M'Hand properly and patiently. In that case, the club may
also save money by not purchasing Lyon's Houssem Aouar, a very similar player
to the Dutchman.
Where would he fit into
the team?
This is where things get
a bit tricky for Oulad M'Hand.
Unfortunately, there are
currently two top-quality young players battling it out for the position as
Arsenal's main creative force in midfield.
Martin Ødegaard and
Emile Smith Rowe have been two of Arsenal's best players this season.
This could mean that opportunities
may be few and far between for the young Dutch star in the next two or three
seasons.
This wouldn't be a
problem, but his family has already shown their willingness to change their
children's pathway if they do not see a future for their son at a specific
club.
For this reason, it
wouldn't be a surprise if we initially saw him either sat deep alongside Thomas
Partey or further up the pitch on the right or left side of a front three,
where he'll be able to express himself more freely.
Conclusion
In Oulad M'Hand, Arsenal
possess one of Europe's most exciting young talents and one of the best academy
prospects North London has seen in years.
He could become a
permanent feature in Mikel Arteta's team for years to come if handled correctly
and given opportunities to perform at the top of his game.
Now, it's crucial that
he continues his excellent form in the Under-23s.
If he does, he could be walking
out at The Emirates sooner than any of us could have imagined when he first
joined from Feyenoord.
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