Five academy stars who could step up this season

Catalin Cirjan

Five academy stars who could step up this season

Hale End has produced some cracking footballers down the years. 

Gunners legends such as Liam Brady, Tony Adams, David Rocastle, Ray Parlour, Paul Merson, Ashley Cole and Jack Wilshere have all come through Arsenal’s academy. 

And the latest off the conveyer belt, Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka, are shining for club and country, while Folarin Balogun is tearing up trees in the French top-flight for Reims. 

But who are the next stars in the making, ready to make the step up to the first team? 

Catalin Cirjan 

Even after 480 days out with a horrific knee injury, Catalin Cirjan is pushing for an Arsenal debut that is long overdue. 

The Romanian midfielder tore his ACL, medial collateral ligament, and meniscus in April 2021 and finally made his return against Swansea for the Under-21s last month. 

Before he was injured, he was expected to make his senior debut at the end of the 2020/21 season and sign a new contract. 

Having recovered, he signed a two-year deal in May and last week he was on the bench for the Gunners’ trip to FC Zurich. 

The 19-year-old is very highly rated by the senior management team and is sure to make his first-team bow sooner rather than later. 

Matt Smith 

Another youngster who’s knocking on the door of a first senior competitive appearance is 21-year-old Matt Smith. 

The youth team captain has been at the club from the age of eight and was named on the bench alongside Cirjan in Switzerland. 

But the Englishman was also named on the bench in the 2-1 win over Aston Villa at the end of August. 

The deep-lying midfielder spent the last two seasons on loan at Swindon and Doncaster, racking up 43 appearances for Rovers as they were relegated from League One. 

With a loan move not materialising this summer, it’s clear that Smith is firmly in Mikel Arteta’s plans in 2022/23. 

Charles Sagoe Jr 

Following on from Cirjan’s new contract, Charles Sagoe Jr put pen to paper for his first professional deal in July. 

The versatile forward was a standout player for the Under-18s last season, with nine goals in 26 appearances for the youth team. 

He was on the periphery of the Under-23s back then, but the 18-year-old has stepped up impressively this term. 

The Ghana-born starlet has scored four goals and assisted one from five appearances in the Premier League 2 as the Gunners sit top of the tree with 13 points. 

Those at London Colney are certainly sitting up and taking note. 

Zach Awe 

Teenager Zach Awe has been waiting patiently for his big break ever since being named on the bench against Wolves in February. 

The 6’4’’ centre-back is composed on the ball and is adept at bringing it out from the back with incisive forays forward. 

A former England Under-17 international, the 18-year-old has started every game of Arsenal’s Premier League 2 campaign so far. 

There are rumours that Awe could make a loan move in the second half of this season to gain some valuable senior experience in the lower leagues. 

Nevertheless, he is definitely one to watch in the future. 

Amario Cozier-Duberry 

Amario Cozier-Duberry is another that has been capped at age-grade international level. 

The diminutive winger has drawn comparisons to recently departed Omari Hutchinson for his flair, goal-threat, and low centre of gravity. 

For England’s Under-17s, he has two goals and three assists in eight appearances – a goal involvement every 79 minutes for the young Lions. 

Cozier-Duberry hit the ground running after the step up to Under-21 level for Arsenal too, scoring and assisting twice in three appearances in the Premier League 2. 

His reward was a place on the bench for the senior team’s first Europa League outing last week. 

Fans should expect to see more and more of the 17-year-old over the coming months and years. 

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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