Ethan Nwaneri and Martin Odegaard face uncertain futures at Arsenal with big-name players set to sign this summer.
That is the view of both former Gunners star Perry Groves and YouTuber James Bayliss, who believe opportunities for a number of stars could be limited next season.
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Due to Arsenal’s incredible squad depth, playing time for many attacking midfielders has been limited so far this season.
Eberechi Eze, who signed from Crystal Palace last year in a deal worth £67.5m, is only allowed to play 13 times in the Premier League.
He was even an unused substitute in four games and has only played the full 90 minutes twice in the top flight.
As for captain Odegaard, although he suffered three injuries this season, he was in Mikel Arteta’s starting lineup 13 times in his 20 league appearances.
The Norway international also struggled for form – scoring just one goal in 26 games in all competitions – leading to calls for his sacking.
And one player who failed to make much of an impression this season was Nwaneri, whose nine goals last season earned him a new five-year contract.
But after playing just six league games – all from the bench – the decision was made to send him on loan to Marseille to continue his development in the first team.
His chances could be even slimmer upon his return to Arsenal, with Hale End graduate Max Dowman primed to have chances to shine after making his debut at the age of 15 in August.
Meanwhile, Arteta has opted to use natural right winger Bukayo Saka in the number 10 position for the club’s last two games.
This allowed Saka to play alongside his England teammate Noni Madueke, who has slotted in on the right.
Go Sagittarius?
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On Inside Gooners, Bayliss spoke about the new partnership between Saka and Madueke and whether this could lead to fewer opportunities for some of the club’s other stars.
He said: “Are you worried about the future? Because we have Nwaneri, Odegaard, Dowman…”
“They all play a little differently in the areas that Saka and Madueke played in.”
“But essentially they want to be either in the right pocket or on the right sideline.
“I wonder if it [FA Cup win over Wigan] was a little glimpse into the future, a bit like, “How do you get them all on one team?”
“Well, because people like Saka and Nwaneri can be played centrally, Dowman, even at 15/16, looks like an incredible talent in terms of the way he can beat players.”
“We know that Madueke is an incredibly explosive, very clever footballer on the ball.”
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“I’m just wondering if you can accommodate them all like this in the future.”
Groves, who won two league titles during his six-year spell at Highbury, believes the club will make tough decisions in the summer.
And this will result in fan favorites being lightened with players who are not in Arteta’s long-term plans.
He noted, “The thing is, though, you don’t have to accommodate everyone.”
“Because there will be some who will be gone at the end of the season.”
“The squad is so strong and there will be new faces coming in, so there will be some who no longer fit the bill.”
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Groves continued, “They all want to go and play.”
“As you mentioned, Nwaneri, when you talk about the indoor spaces he wants to play in…
“You have Eze, Odegaard and then Max Dowman who is incredible, believe me.”
“So Nwaneri will rightly think, ‘I want to go and play.'”
Nwaneri needed just 13 minutes to show what Arsenal are missing after scoring a beautiful goal on his Marseille debut last month.
And it remains to be seen whether the 18-year-old – the Premier League’s youngest player ever – remains on Arteta’s mind beyond the summer.