Arsenal: Pitting Reiss Nelson against Bukayo Saka smart business

In Reiss Nelson and Bukayo Saka, Arsenal have two extremely exciting young winger prospects. It is smart business, then, to pit them against each other.

I don’t need to tell you just how many young stars have come through the Arsenal system to amount to almost nothing. Just this weekend, I was watching Carlos Vela score twice for Los Angeles FC in MLS. What a fall from grace for a Mexican who was destined to take over the world.

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In the heat of excitement and heart of hope, it is very easy to get ahead of ourselves, forecasting greatness without little foundation in accurate analysis. Realistically, most truly great 19-year-olds will never become regular starters at their respective teams. And yet, when they are coming through the system, showing glimpses of talent every now and then, we, as fans, go utterly crazy.

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It is understandable. I am not here to criticise fandom. We all love to see a homegrown player graduate into the senior squad and star for the first team. There is a reason why fans always held a special place for players like Jack Wilshere, Yaya Sanogo and Aaron Ramsey. It was desperation for the youth at the club to shine. But that desperation often leads to subjective, unwise management.

And in Reiss Nelson and Bukayo Saka, Arsenal have two cases in which any favouritism or subjective thinking could harm both of their careers. The two young wingers are on the fringe of the senior squad, Nelson currently on loan at Hoffenheim, Saka ripping it up as a part of the under-23s and making a few brief appearances earlier in the season. As Nelson returns to the club in the summer and both look to push for a role in the senior squad, it makes complete sense to pit them against each other.

Causing divisions in the dressing room might not seem like a smart plan, and that is certainly not what I am advocating here. But some healthy, inner-squad competition could certainly help both of their developments. And it also makes great sense from the club’s perspective also.

The process of graduating from youth football and then becoming a star in senior football is an extremely difficult and unpredictable one. Putting all your eggs in one or two baskets makes very little sense, such is the fragility of the baskets. It is far wiser to play the numbers game and spread your investments across a string of talented young players, hoping that one or two can emerge as stars.

There is a reason why Chelsea have amassed so many young players in recent years. No matter how talented Callum Hudson-Odoi may seem, there is no guarantee that he will ever fulfil his potential at the senior level. And so Chelsea want to give themselves another shot at greatness with another young player, and another one, and another one.

That is the same approach that Arsenal should be taking with Saka and Nelson. It may seem a little inhuman. It may seem like Nelson is being supplanted before he has even been given the chance to shine in the senior squad. But football is a ruthless business. For teams to flourish, sometimes they must act accordingly.