da supremo： Arsenal boast one of the most prolific and successful academies in English football history, having consistently produced a steady stream of stars who have either shone within their first team, or gone on to enjoy fine careers elsewhere.
da pinup bet： The likes of Tony Adams, Paul Merson, Ashley Cole and more of days gone by all owe their success to the platform handed them by the Gunners, with there being no end in sight for the sensational talents that Hale End continues to spit out.
It marks such a profitable endeavour to boast an academy as incredible as theirs, and whether those stars help them progress, the alternative funds secured are vital in their continued compliance with FFP. For example, despite their huge spending spree this summer, the £35m sale of graduate Folarin Balogun offset that massively.
However, above all else in that regard at the moment is Bukayo Saka, who marks the crown jewel of their academy production, and the man on whom Mikel Arteta will be holding much of his future success upon.
How long has Bukayo Saka been at Arsenal?
Saka has been at the club since the tender age of seven, meaning Arsenal was always going to hold a special place in the 21-year-old's heart, as he slowly rose through the ranks with both club and country.
With appearances for every England setup from U15s onwards, having since amassed 28 caps for the senior squad, it is fair to say that he has more than made it now.
Gareth Southgate, the current England manager who nurtured him into his setup, even recently noted when asked if he thought Saka could become an elite player: "I think he is already there. He broke into a team [Arsenal] having a difficult time and performing at a high level, then when the team was playing well he’s still performing. That says everything. He’s exceptional to work with."
It is a testament to his quality that he performs so admirably on any stage handed to him, with the winger having only just been presented with the England Men's Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year too.
However, it is his work with his boyhood club that has truly caught the eye, as an ever-present fixture of Arteta's ever-evolving outfit.
How many goals has Bukayo Saka scored for Arsenal?
The youngster has featured in every Premier League match for two successive seasons now too, since breaking Merson's record for most consecutive league starts.
It is amazing just how consistent the £103m-rated maverick manages to be, as a goal threat and creative influence who is more than willing to track back and help out his side too.
As such, last term marked his finest to date, as he scored 14 and assisted a further 11 in the league, building upon the 18 goal contributions he posted the year prior. It's a tally that has taken him to 40 goals at the age of just 22.
Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Tim Sherwood was keen to voice his admiration for the trickster on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday (26/08/2023): "He wants to work hard, he wants to prove to Mikel Arteta that he is the real deal. The durability of him to play that amount of games, everyone talks about now, ‘Oh the games come thick and fast and they need a break and rest period’, this boy doesn’t.
"This boy is made of different stuff. You know, if you left him out and said, ‘I want to rest you’, he’d be devastated. He wants to play every single week and why wouldn’t you?”
“He’s at one of the biggest clubs in the country, he’s got all the facilities in the world. He’s got a magnificent young manager who believes in him…I can’t speak highly enough of him, from the academy, the best player they had last season and probably going to be the player of the season this year, one of their own.”
His kind of technical quality cannot be overstated, but the mindset he pairs it with will truly take him to the very top. However, in keeping with their immense academy production, murmurs are emerging in north London that suggest a Saka clone is currently in production. Meet Amario Cozier-Duberry.
Who is Amario Cozier-Duberry?
"He reminds me of Bukayo Saka, plays in the same position as him, needs to get better with his decision-making like Bukayo did, but he’s definitely exciting," noted Jack Wilshere on Amario Cozier-Duberry, the 18-year-old winger seemingly billed as the next big thing to emerge at the Emirates.
And with good reason, given his recent performances for various youth teams, where the teenage sensation has put himself on the map with his quick feet, scorching pace and lethal left foot.
Last season saw him score five and assist a further four in the Premier League 2, whilst also notching eight goal contributions across just six FA Youth Cup matches as they ran riot on their way to the final before failing to beat West Ham United.
Not only that, but throughout their participation in the Football League Trophy, his 7.95 average rating was upheld by three goal contributions, and perhaps more importantly 1.5 tackles per game, via Sofascore.
It seems that Cozier-Duberry shares that work rate that has made Saka so feared, with the England international having recorded 1.7 tackles per game of his own last term in the Premier League.
Equally as clinical in front of goal as he is magic in possession, with this sprawling attacking skillset it is no wonder that Arteta has included Cozier-Duberry in the senior match-day squad on occasion.
In fact, when Wilshere was allowed to continue speaking on his young star, he even admitted that the Spaniard was already keeping a close eye on his progression: "His super-strengths are his ball-carrying and ability to take people on. He’s an exciting footballer, but (has) loads to learn. Amario is very exciting and Mikel likes him. In some moments he’s unplayable. You give him the ball and he can make things happen."
With a preference for the right flank, allowing him to cut inside on his favoured foot, it seems that somehow they have done it again with the production of a gem with striking similarities to the otherwise unparalleled Saka.
The hope will be that Arteta can come to some solution that allows the two stars to shine within the same side in the near future, as Arsenal's famed academy hopes to be the catalyst that brings the elite honours back to north London.