Fansided

10 young players to watch

By James Dudko

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 04: Leicester City's Demarai Gray during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Sunderland at The King Power Stadium on April 4, 2017 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Stephen White - CameraSport via Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 04: Leicester City's Demarai Gray during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Sunderland at The King Power Stadium on April 4, 2017 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Stephen White - CameraSport via Getty Images) /
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ST ALBANS, ENGLAND – APRIL 01: Jeff Reine-Adelaide of Arsenal during a training session at London Colney on April 1, 2017 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
ST ALBANS, ENGLAND – APRIL 01: Jeff Reine-Adelaide of Arsenal during a training session at London Colney on April 1, 2017 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) /

5. Jeff Reine-Adelaide, midfielder, Arsenal

Arsenal fans are still waiting for the exciting Jeff Reine-Adelaide to make his first-team breakthrough. The 19-year-old came close last season when Wenger handed him starts during the winning FA Cup run.

Reine-Adelaide started in wins over Southampton and non-league Sutton United in consecutive rounds. Sadly, the injury bug struck again late last season and Reine-Adelaide missed the final two months of the campaign.

He’s back fit now, though, and is already being touted for bigger things by team-mate Laurent Koscielny. The French center-back told Arsenal Player, via Colin Harvey of the Daily Star, he wants Reine-Adelaide to make the step up this season:

"I hope it’s Jeff Reine-Adelaide. He’s a young boy but I think he has a lot of quality. He can learn a lot with us. He has all the quality and after that it’s in his head to work more and to want to achieve something with this club. I hope he will start next season, play a lot and improve with us."

Koscielny’s reference to Reine-Adelaide’s need to work harder is telling. It could speak to why this mercurial teenager has so far failed to play in the first team in the league.

Ability can’t be the issue for this long-striding schemer who combines an imposing physical frame with polished technique. A role in central midfield would seem natural for Reine-Adelaide, particularly with Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere both injury prone in recent seasons.

Arsenal need Reine-Adelaide to take a big step forward this season.