Five Arsenal young guns who should have gone onto better things

For a young player at a big club, life can be both grand and stressful. Playing under the tutelage of some of the world’s best can only be a positive for a young player learning his trade, and those who manage to break into the side experience substantial growth. Not everyone is so fortunate however, and some young guns fail to live up to their lofty expectations.

The terms “flop” and “bust” are usually used to describe these players; one with so much promise and ability but somehow wither into obscurity. It happens at just about every club, and Arsenal is no different. Have a look at five of the most promising Arsenal youngsters to never really make it in the first team at Arsenal. Be sure to leave a comment of your own with some players you felt should have made more of an impact.

Fran Merida

Once drawing comparisons to compatriot and fellow La Masia academy product Cesc Fabregas, Merida was tipped for greatness. Impressive technical ability and passing range, Merida loved to create goal scoring chances and was thought by many to be the eventual successor to Fabregas. He struggled to live up to his billing though, making just 6 first team appearances. Despite a few impressive glimpses, he never really made much of an impact and struggled to rise up the pecking order. Even still, he was tipped for a big future, so much that Atletico tapped him up when his Arsenal contract ran out in 2010. He flopped horribly in Spain however and was shipped out to Braga on loan before joining second division side Hercules. From there he joined Brazilian outfit Clube Atlético Paranaense. Now 25, he plies his trade back in his homeland Spain in the second division with SD Huesca.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas

Thomas will always be a youth team legend for the goal above and for his goal tally over ten years. Sensational skill and trickery on the ball, the man who was once affectionately known as “Jet” (for his initials) was primed for a massive career at Arsenal and football in general. He was a handful for his size and strength, but also possessed good technical ability. He scored goals for fun in the youth setup, leading the team to league and cup glory. He never really looked like breaking into the first team though and made just one first team appearance. He was sent on loan three seasons in a row to Blackpool, Doncaster, and Cardiff from 2009 to 2011 bagging decent goal tallies at each, but again found himself frozen out back at Arsenal. He eventually moved on to Ipswich where he scored just 8 goals in 71 league appearances before joining Bristol in 2013. He has now agree to join QPR for next season.

Rui Fonte

Young Portuguese winger Fonte was supposed to be the next big thing at Arsenal. Signed from Sporting, the blisteringly quick and skillful Fonte was supposed to set the Premier League on fire when he got older and joined Arsenal with a huge billing. You know the story by now, he failed to do any such thing and never appeared in a single league match for the club. He was promoted to the first team in 2008, and was released on loan to Crystal Palace in 2009 before returning to Sporting. He was shipped to several clubs on loan before signing permanently for Benfica’s second team in the second division in Portugal. To be fair, he has lead the team in scoring in the second division for the past few season, but it is a far cry from what was expected of him.

Henri Lansbury

Lansbury’s goal against Tottenham in the league cup (the celebration is pictured above) will go down as probably his only first team contribution to Arsenal. Tipped by many including Alan Smith as the future of Arsenal’s midfield, Lansbury was brilliant in the youth side. He was instrumental in the same youth side as Jay Emmanuel Thomas, assisting him for one his goals as Arsenal won the FA youth cup over Liverpool. The young Englishman had superb vision and passing ability and was expected to step into the first team sooner rather than later. It wasn’t to be though and he made just 3 league appearances before leaving on loan to Scunthorpe, Watford, Norwich and West Ham. In 2012 he signed for current club Nottingham Forest,  where he made himself quite at home to be fair. He has made 100 appearances scoring 22 goals and at just 24 he could well get another shot at a big club. Still, it is not the level expected from him as he could and should be starring at a top European club.

Armand Traore

The current QPR man shot through the youth ranks at Arsenal and was tipped for a huge role with Arsenal and possibly France. A blistering quick left back or winger, Traore was an exceptional talent. Extremely pacey and possessing good skill and passing range, Traore impressed on the attacking end, even earning interest from Juventus where he played on loan in 2010. He was badly exposed for his lack of defensive ability however, and that was eventually his downfall at Arsenal. He made just 13 league appearances for Arsenal from 2006 to 2011 and eventually joined QPR. At 25, he has shown small signs of improvement but still leaves much to be desired in his positioning and decision making. He had the attributes to emulate Ashley Cole overlapping on the offensive end, but is a far cry on the other end.