Over the years, Arsenal have produced plenty of academy talent, though some of them have ended up slipping through the net of the senior team.
Given how competitive the club are at the very top level, it’s not always easy for those in the Hale End academy to make an instant impact at the club.
Arsenal are very fortunate that some have in recent years, as Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Ethan Nwaneri are among those currently featuring quite heavily in the team.
However, two stars who recently left the Emirates Stadium under the tenure of Edu Gaspar are making an impact elsewhere, and it’s proving to be a costly mistake for the club.
It’s fair to say that while Arsenal have had their successes with the academy side, they have also missed out on plenty of talent by letting them go early.
Mika Biereth’s impressive form at AS Monaco is just one example, with the striker scoring plenty during a time when the Gunners need a centre-forward.
Beyond him, there have also been errors in letting the academy pair of Omari Hutchinson and Brooke Norton-Cuffy leave, too.
The case surrounding Hutchinson was rather unfortunate, as the winger couldn’t be convinced of a new deal at the Emirates Stadium.
With Edu unable to seal an extension, his eventual move to Chelsea on a free transfer, then Ipswich Town permanently one year later, proved to be a missed opportunity.
Norton-Cuffy was different, as the young full-back enjoyed spells on loan in the Championship before joining Genoa permanently for £3.5 million.
Now playing under Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira, the defender is looking to progress further in Serie A.
Now featuring for the England under-21s, the pair have impressed in spells for the Three Lions during the European Championships.
Playing alongside Ethan Nwaneri, the Hale End academy trio have proven just how good they are and still could be.
However, the duo, who have since left, are now plying their trade elsewhere, and these moves may now cost Andrea Berta.
While many may argue whether Hutchinson and Norton-Cuffy would have a place in the team at Arsenal, the real place that may be paying the price comes with the finances.
Losing Hutchinson for free, who has since moved for £25 million to Ipswich, before another potential transfer this summer, underlines a huge loss.
With Norton-Cuffy now impressing for the England youth teams, with a huge season ahead for the youngster, his form could well see his value increase further.
If that is the case, then Arsenal have missed out again, unable to sell their best and brightest talent for the right price point, giving Andrea Berta less money to work with in the market.
While both have needed to go out and develop elsewhere, it shows the importance for the side to have a plan in place.
Arsenal don’t have a multi-club model to help create the type of flow that a team like Man City can, for example.
However, they must put things in place to be able to offer football regularly to their academy stars, while competing at the top level.
