A club which is known for making youngsters into legends is Arsenal football club. They have done it on numerous occasions, as they give chances to young guns to rise up to the occasion and make a name for themselves. As Arsene Wenger once said, ‘We don’t buy superstars, we make them’ this truly reflects what the Hale End academy has done over the years. Arsenal’s academy is not only regarded as one of the best in England but one of the best in the world as well. The Gunners have a very young but passionate squad right now as we look at the 5 youngest players at Arsenal.
#5 Albert Sambi Lokonga
Age – 21
Another new addition to the squad this season is Albert Sambi Lokonga. The Belgium midfielder was captaining his former side Anderlecht at the age of just 21, talk about leadership. He comes to Arsenal with a lot of experience under his belt as he consistently started in Belgium’s league. Sambi was signed to improve squad depth by adding quality young players.
We have already witnessed glimpses of how good Lokonga is and how he can be the perfect partner for Thomas Partey in the absence of Granit Xhaka as he ranks 5th in this list of 5 youngest players at Arsenal.
#4 Nuno Tavares
Age – 21
A new youngster was added to the team this season in the form of Nuno Tavares. The former Benfica left-back was already Benfica’s main left-back and a nailed starter at that position, Nuno played close to 50 games for his former club before joining the Gunners this season. He is signed by Arsenal as a backup for Kieran Tierney and will provide a healthy competition to Tierney as well.
While we haven’t seen much from Nuno, the future certainly looks bright for him as he has a lot of time to learn and improve from senior players at the club.
#3 Emile Smith Rowe
Age – 21
Another player which rose up the ranks in the academy and made a breakthrough in the first team is Emile Smith Rowe. Everyone had seen glimpses of how capable he was earlier but he finally got a chance last season when Mikel Arteta decided to play him as an attacking midfielder. He did wonders against Chelsea and shocked everyone, he has been a consistent starter since then.
Emile gives that spark in the attack which was previously missing, he can play as an attacking midfielder or even on the wings if needed. Like the other youngsters mentioned above, Smith Rowe will a key player in the future for Arsenal as well.
#2 Gabriel Martinelli
Age – 20
Brazilians have always loved playing for Arsenal in the past, with the same ambition and ideology Gabriel Martinelli signed for the Gunners in 2019 as well. Highly rated and highly talented, he was shining bright in his local team and was a subject of interest to many top clubs in Europe but signed a long-term contract with Arsenal. He has featured in over 50 games for the club and is a very popular figure among the fans.
His goal versus Chelsea and the celebration that followed will always be remembered when anyone mentions the name of Gabriel Martinelli. His acceleration is very lethal as he skips past players at the left-wing and can also play as a striker if need be.
#1 Bukayo Saka
Age – 20
Arsenal’s very own starboy, Bukayo Saka has done some incredible stuff at the age of just 20. Like most Arsenal youngsters, Bukayo too is a childhood Arsenal fan who joined the Hale End academy very early and signed his first professional contract at the age of 17. Since then, he has made close to 100 appearances for the first team and is now among one of the most important players at the club.
Bukayo Saka is an absolute joy to watch, his pace combined with dribbling puzzles defenders as he rushes past them. While he is best utilized at the right-wing, Saka is also very versatile as he has previously played at left-back, midfield, and left-wing too as he tops this list of 5 youngest players at Arsenal.
