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Arsenal: Alex Iwobi The Light Of Failed Prospect Class
By Josh Sippie
Arsenal has always had a strong academy that they mine for precious resources, but those resources are quickly going dry.
There were a ton of midfielders in the Arsenal system that we were looking forward to. Guys like Alex Iwobi, Gedion Zelalem, Jon Toral, Dan Crowley, Chuba Akpom and Serge Gnabry all looked like sure-fire first-teamers, given the proper opportunities.
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Slowly but surely, that collection of young talent has dissipated. What had once seemed like a class of the future has turned into Alex Iwobi and a few dim glimmers of hope.
And it’s hard to see where it all went wrong. Gedion Zelalem had a very positive loan at Rangers before returning home and even now, with the midfield battered and injured, there are no chances for him to claim, for whatever reason.
As such, he appears to be off to Borussia Dortmund, where he will probably flourish and bloom.
Dan Crowley can’t seem to straighten up his attitude problem, as his talent is being thrown aside by numerous managers who call him impossible to work with. Now he is off in the Netherlands, trying desperately to get his career back on track.
Serge Gnabry, who I will bemoan forever, has turned into the fantastic player that we all knew he was. At Werder Bremen he is off to a roaring start and it’s just a matter of time before he lands at a big club.
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Jon Toral is also not being used for the midfield vacancies, as his bizarre and highly questionable Granada loan is turning into an inexplicable Rangers loan, all in spite of the need for a midfielder just like him at a time when openings are there.
Chuba Akpom still has hope, but his time is ticking, as injuries and a lack of chances all seem to be leading us to what we already know.
It’s all on Alex Iwobi. You could probably include Hector Bellerin in that class too. This was a hugely promising class of talents but none have developed beyond prospect status. Whether that is because of a lack of chances, improper training or poorly constructed loans (or a combination of the three) the fact remains that with so much talent, it doesn’t feel quite right that only one or two players have been given a proper chance.
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And that truly is where it all starts – a chance. Who knows what these guys could have become, given the proper investment of faith.