Arsenal: Clear out or no, youth will still need to step up

Arsenal have an upcoming summer clear out coming up, but even if they get what they want, they are still going to need youth to step up.

In the process of talking about who Arsenal may and may not get this summer, I came to realize that even if they get everyone they want, it still won’t be enough. And I don’t mean that in a pessimistic way, I actually mean it in an optimistic way.

Last summer, we got four players – two midfielders, a keeper and a centerback. I think it’s safe to say we all love them, all four of them. They were the exact right kind of players.

This summer, with far more sales expected, the rumor is that Unai Emery will be aiming for the same number of incoming players – four. Now, I’m not great at predicting, but I’m going to assume that means we’re looking at a centerback, a fullback, a midfielder and a winger.

Sounds good, but not enough, right? My thoughts exactly. If we only get a minimal budget and sell a few guys to pad that, we can get a pretty healthy four dudes to fit four glaring needs this club has.

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But that still leaves enough room for youth that they will not only need to step up, but they will need to be reliable and able to be counted on to do the job that our mass of overpaid superstars are doing this year.

That includes Rob Holding, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Alex Iwobi, Reiss Nelson, and Emile Smith Rowe.

With only one centerback likely incoming and Shkdoran Mustafi likely hitting the high road, we are trading one for one, albeit more reliably. But with Laurent Koscielny‘s health issues, the door is wide open and needing to be closed by Mavropanos and Holding.

One the wings, seeing as how we have no wingers, one addition isn’t going to help us all that much. We need guys like Reiss Nelson and Alex Iwobi to do their part. To be senior players, no longer youngsters who we’re optimistic about, but first-teamers we can count on.

The same goes with Emile Smith Rowe. With Aaron Ramsey tragically leaving the picture, we need to have more options in this creative midfield, cause it’s been awful. That’s Smith Rowe territory.

It’s exciting, if not nervy. I want to believe that these guys can do it. I really do.