10 Youth Prospects Who Could Change Arsenal's Future

By David Fribbins / August 6, 2014

If there's one message to take from the signing of Mesut Ozil in 2013 and Alexis Sanchez this summer, it's that Arsenal are looking to once again compete for trophies and honours. Their inflated transfer fees and the established pedigree of the players suggests a change in agenda somewhat from the days of investing in young players and allowing them to blossom. Both are ready made, and hopefully, ready made for success more specifically. Inevitably though, the Wenger naysayers have been out in force once more, their chorus clamouring at the lack of opportunities Arsene is giving young players. But they need not be concerned, as Wenger remains determined to make use of the club's successful youth academy. Speaking at the club's AGM, manager Arsene Wenger insisted:

"We make huge investments again in our youth policy. I believe that has to be the core and the strength of our club. "If you go today through our squad, for example we have completed or partially educated Wojciech Szczesny, Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Serge Gnabry€” all these players who have made their debut in the Premier League with us. "They know how we want to play, they know how we want to behave and they bring their qualities and these values to the team."

It might well be true that some of those players - Jenkinson and Gnabry mostly - are not yet quite ready for the first team, but the rest have made big impacts on Wenger's squad, and there's no reason for the club to abandon their approach to developing player, especially when they can still make valuable - and occasionally saleable - assets out of youth prospects. So who are the next crop of young players are coming through the ranks to look out for, who should be breaking into the first team over the next few years? Here are the top 10.