Another Arsenal youngster could be on the move
In what has been a difficult few days for Arsenal's youth team, I can reveal another prospect in the making. Miguel Azeez was once considered the bright young man at Hill End, but his career was interrupted by loan spells at Ibiza and Wigan. The Gunners are now in talks to send the midfielder to Atletico Baleares in the Spanish third division in a deal that will be permanent. It is by no means certain that this will be completed before the deadline, according to CBS Sports sources, but there is a will on all sides to make it happen.
Aziz will follow Bradley Brahim (Hertha Berlin) and Lino Souza (Aston Villa) in making what may previously have seemed premature moves away from the club. It is unlikely that any of these deals will make Arsenal much money, but if a deal for Aziz is completed, it is expected to include sell-on terms, matching rights and appearance additions to earn the Gunners money in the future.
Arsenal are not the only ones taking this approach with their youth, with Villa also seeing that loaning out their players indefinitely is not as smart a move as it was once seen. Often, in the lower leagues of English and European football, managers, under pressure to deliver immediate results, trust veteran players with greater competitive experience, while clubs are often more reluctant than they initially appear to develop. A player for another team.
Deals similar to Abraham's could mark another step in youth development, especially for those seen as unlikely to make it further than the first team. Hertha Berlin are more motivated to develop the young midfielder now, if he proves successful, Arsenal could benefit from him and, if all goes well, bring him back at market price. If the alternative is for talented footballers to reach the age of 20 or 21 with little progress made in their careers, that may be for the best.
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