Arsenal have made some bold decisions in the transfer market this summer, and several academy products could end up departing.
Popular Academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe departed after over a decade at the club, whilst Eddie Nketiah could also join Nottingham Forest.
Charlie Patino will also leave, in a summer where promising young talents Chido Obi-Martin and Amario Cozier-Duberry also left Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta has been criticised in some quarters for failing to give more chances to some Academy players, but he will silence some of them as Ethan Nwaneri looks set for an increased first-team role.
Arteta was asked about the balance between academy graduates and foreign signings in a team, and he pointed to the example of Spanish side Athletic Bilbao as one to learn from.
Mikel Arteta highlights Athletic Bilbao transfer policy in relation to Arsenal
Speaking in a press conference before Arsenal’s trip to face Aston Villa, Arteta highlighted how the ideal team would have a split of academy graduates and foreign signings, whilst also succeeding on the pitch.
“Well I think the sentence is not finished, is it ‘I want to have a team that is half academy and half foreign players, whatever it is, and win the Premier League and Champions League consistently,’ is that the sentence? Or is it just to have it?” Arteta stated.
“To have it is possible – we can do that tomorrow. To achieve what is something different, I have a great example, Athletic Bilbao. What they’ve done only with academy players and Basque players is remarkable, but can they win now every year La Liga and the Champions League? That’s a different task.”
What can Arsenal learn from Athletic Bilbao?
Athletic Bilbao have always operated on a policy where they only sign Basque players, and put extra emphasis on the academy.
They have produced a lot of top-class players over the years, and Euro 2024 winner and Arsenal transfer target Nico Williams is the latest big talent to emerge from the club.
Athletic Bilbao won the Copa Del Rey last season, and have consistently competed in the top half of La Liga in recent years. However, the Copa Del Rey triumph was their first in a long time.
Historically, Athletic Club are the third-most successful club in Spain in terms of trophies, but there is an argument that their policy prevents them from making the signings to take them to the next level on the pitch.
Arsenal do not need to follow this policy, and whilst fans are always eager for Hale End talents to make it in the first-team, there has to be a balance.
Bukayo Saka is Arsenal’s talisman, and a graduate of the academy, but Arteta has also brought top-class players such as Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice to play alongside him, and this balance of quality and homegrown players could see them challenge for the title again.
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