Arsenal are a club that boasts a rich history laden with silverware and some of the best talent to have ever graced the English game. Steeped in tradition, there are few outfits as desirable as the Gunners both throughout the past and in the present.
This is a testament to their ability to maintain a structure that has warranted such success, alongside an often well-informed transfer strategy.
But arguably what has been the most defining factor in their long-lasting triumphs is their academy, that which has kicked into overdrive of late.
The likes of Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka all owe their success to the proficiency of Hale End, with the latter in particular offering a gleaming indication of the success their graduates can achieve.
With a squad now scorching towards the Premier League title, it should offer further incentive for their current crop of youngsters to raise their game to compete for a spot in Mikel Arteta’s side.
That means the likes of Joel Ideho, although already impressing, now has another level to attain before he can start reaching the heights of the offensive figures aforementioned.
Who is Joel Ideho?
Having moved to the Emirates in 2020 as a plucky 17-year-old with pure pace and trickery, taking the path from Ajax to north London, it is instantly impossible to avoid comparisons between the youngster and legendary winger Marc Overmars.
He would make that same journey in 1997, going on to record 69 goal contributions across a 137-game career at Highbury, culminating in numerous trophies.
The 19-year-old star will be seeking to emulate his success and already has the base physical assets to do so. It was an electric speed that made the legendary Dutchman so revered in north London, which fortunately his would-be successor also boasts.
With two goals to his name from the left flank this campaign, it has been a tough season for the teenager who is admittedly still adjusting not only to living in another country but a level far above his age group.
However, his performances in the Football League Trophy did offer glimpses into the star Ideho can become should he find some consistency.
Across those four matches, he would record one shot, 0.5 key passes and 0.8 successful dribbles per game, via Sofascore, with three of those appearances coming from the bench. Whilst unspectacular on the face of it, the foundations are in place for him to succeed having battled well against players at the senior level.
The ex-Ajax youngster was lauded as “lively” by journalist Layth Yousif, who commented on the attacker during an U21 game against Swansea City earlier this season. Meanwhile, just last month Ideho proclaimed: “I want to get more goals and assists to help the team win.”
Should the exciting teenager achieve that in the coming months, then a first-team call surely beckons soon to truly start emulating Overmars’ success that came before him.
