Arsenal’s terrible luck with injuries last year seems to have carried over to this season.
On top of the mountain of attacking injuries, Mikel Arteta is now set to be without Gabriel Magaheles for up to two months.
Fortunately, the squad is fairly well stacked in defensive areas, and so while it’s not ideal, the Spaniard should be able to find a way to make his backline work.
Moreover, that defensive depth is likely to get even stronger within a few years, as Hale End are currently brewing someone who could be a dream Gabriel heir.
Arsenal's next Hale End stars
It feels like every season now, a Hale End gem or two emerge and slot right into Arsenal’s first team, be that Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly or even Max Dowman.
The good news for the Emirates faithful and Arteta is that the production of incredible young talents shows no signs of stopping, with a few academy gems looking likely to make a first-team appearance or two in the coming years.
One of those who seems destined for the senior side is Northern Irish youth international Ceadach O’Neill.
The 17-year-old attacker joined the club in 2023 and has shone for the u18s.
On top of being able to play across the frontline, the “brilliantly” talented gem, as dubbed by the Gunners’ U21 coach David Horseman, has shown an eye for goal, scoring 11 and providing five assists in 32 games for the u18s.
Right Winger
11
2
3
Centre-Forward
7
6
1
Left Winger
7
3
1
Right Midfield
2
0
1
Left Midfield
1
0
0
Another hugely exciting young attacker is Brando Bailey-Joseph.
The 17-year-old only signed scholarship terms with the club a few months ago, but has already been rewarded with a professional deal thanks to his sensational performances this season.
For example, in 14 appearances this season, totalling 929 minutes, he’s scored four goals and provided four assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.75 games, or every 116.12 minutes.
Hale End expert Will Balsam has described the youngster as an “explosive” attacker whose “quickness and sharp cuts” make him a “menace” for opposing defenders – which sounds like the sort of left-winger the first team could use.
In all, there are more than a handful of academy gems like O’Neill and Bailey-Joseph who could soon make it into the first team, but few are as exciting as Hale End’s best defensive prospect in years.
Hale End's future Gabriel replacement
Now, for a youngster to be considered as a future replacement or heir for Gabriel, they’ve got to be something pretty special.
Fortunately, as things stand, Marli Salmon looks to be just that.
In fact, Mattinson has gone out on a limb and described the exceptionally talented prospect as “the best CB Hale End has produced.”
What makes the 16-year-old so special, then? Well, like the big Brazilian he might one day step in for, he’s excellent at reading the game and is incredibly cultured on the ball.
For example, Mattinson has described him as “technically advanced,” and Balsam argues that he’s “different gravy on the ball” and has a perfect “mix of control and aggression.”
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
However, if he wants to one day step into Big Gabis’ shoes, he also needs to be someone who can engage in a bit of old-school defending, someone who can hold their own against the battering rams.
Fortunately, despite looking relatively slight – he is still 16 after all – the Hale Ender is already showing signs that he’s far stronger than he looks.
According to Balsam, he’s an “athletically gifted” defender who marries technical composure with “freak physical attributes.”
Finally, the last sign that he has a bright future ahead of him is that he featured in pre-season and, just like Dowman, didn’t look too out of place.
Ultimately, there is still a long way to go, but Salmon looks like he could be Hale End’s next superstar and the perfect long-term replacement for Gabriel.
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