Top 5 Arsenal youngsters looking to catch the eye during pre-season

Arsenal are in the United States for pre-season with a packed fixture schedule, facing three matches, all against Premier League rivals, in eight days. They will be taking on Bournemouth and then Manchester United in Los Angeles, before a clash with Liverpool in Philadelphia.

Following the European Championship and Copa América, Mikel Arteta is taking with him a depleted squad; Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale, Bukayo Saka, David Raya and William Saliba will all miss the tour, while Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz are set to join up later this week.

So, of the 26-man traveling party, 13 are inexperienced youngsters, many of whom will get the chance to impress against Bournemouth at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday night, so we're highlighting five of these young players who are most-likely to catch the eye.

Top 5 Arsenal youngsters looking to catch the eye during pre-season

Ethan Nwaneri

On 18 September 2022, Ethan Nwaneri became the youngest player in Premier League history, replacing Fábio Vieira in stoppage time as Arsenal won 3-0 at Brentford, doing so at the age of just 15 years and 181 days.

The previous record had been held by Harvey Elliott (16 years and 30 days), while Nwaneri also surpassed the all-time English top-flight record, previously set by Sunderland goalkeeper Derek Forster in 1964, by just three days.

This though was not an empty gesture from Mikel Arteta, because Arsenal really rate this kid, who is still only 17, making his sole subsequent senior appearance during the 6-0 demolition of West Ham in February.

That day, Arteta claimed other substitutes were whispering in his ear 'get Ethan on' as the goals continued to fly in. Nwaneri came off the bench for half an hour during Saturday's behind-closed-doors friendly win over Leyton Orient and, if any academy player is going to get an opportunity to prove his worth stateside, it's likely to be him.

Myles Lewis-Skelly

The other most-prized asset in the Arsenal academy is Myles Lewis-Skelly, albeit he is significantly less well-known, considering he's yet to make his senior debut, an unused substitute against both Lens and Brighton last year. Nevertheless, the 17 year old has shone at youth level, most-notably scoring an 121st minute winner in the FA Youth Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City in 2023.

During that aforementioned behind-closed-doors friendly against Leyton Orient, a 2-0 victory for the Gunners, Lewis-Skelly actually started at left-back, despite being a midfielder, so it'll be interesting to see where Arteta deploys this ultra-talented teenager, assuming he sees some action, which is likely.

Charles Sagoe Jr

Compared to the first two players on this list, 19 year old Charles Sagoe Jr is a season veteran, spending the second half of last season out on loan at Swansea City, although this didn't go to plan, playing only twice in the EFL Championship, totalling a miserly 25 minutes, during his time in South Wales.

Earlier last season, he made his senior Arsenal debut, starting the 1-0 Carabao Cup victory at Brentford, looking impressive during his 68 minutes on the field, before being replaced by Gabriel Jesus.

As someone in attendance at the Gtech Community Stadium that night, I can confirm when the team news dropped, even the most hard-core of traveling Arsenal supporters were puzzled as to whom was starting on the right-wing, but he certainly impressed Martin Ødegaard, ushering Sagoe Jr towards the Gunners' contingent at full time, enabling him to lap up their adulation.

Karl Hein

With neither Aaron Ramsdale nor David Raya making the trip across the Atlantic, both had front-row seats at the Euros final from their respective substitute benches, it'll be left to the kids to don the gloves. Tommy Setford, a new arrival from Ajax, Lucas Nygaard, who's just come in from Nordsjælland and Alexei Rojas are all on the tour, but Karl Hein is set to see by far the most action.

Out of contract earlier this summer, Hein was convinced to sign a new deal at Arsenal, reportedly with the promise of lots of minutes during pre-season, before a much-needed loan move for the forthcoming campaign.

Since arriving from Nõmme United in 2018, to date, he's made just a solitary senior appearance for the club, this coming in the EFL Cup against Brighton in November 2022, conceding a penalty as the Gunners were knocked out 3-1.

In contrast, Hein is Estonia's established first-choice goalkeeper, accumulating 30 caps since his debut four years ago, between the sticks during their Euro 2024 play-off defeat to Poland back in March.

So, on the international scene, he has plenty of expirence but, now 22 years old, he needs to translate that over to the club game, so these pre-season fixture will be the perfect chance for Hein to impress potential future employers in the loan market.

Ayden Heaven

Arsenal travel to the U.S. light in all areas, especially at the back, given that, to start with at least, they're without Gabriel and William Saliba, while Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney have both remained at London Colney nursing injuries.

So the trio of young defenders on the tour could be poised for plenty of opportunities, with Ayden Heaven the most inexperienced, but the one supporters are most excited to see. The 17 year old partnered Jurriën Timber at centre-back against Leyton Orient, which is really his first exposure to the first team, coming closest by starting two matches in the EFL Trophy, against Exeter and Reading, last season.

Standing at 6 ft 2 in tall, a left-footed centre-back, he has all the attributes to go to the top, so don't be surprised to see Heaven's name in the XI come Wednesday night in California.