Scottish outfit Rangers have now emerged as suitors for one Hale End academy gem who Mikel Arteta wants to keep at Arsenal.
The future of Reuell Walters at Arsenal is now in considerable doubt.
The 19-year-old defender is one the most promising youth prospects in the Gunners’ Hale End academy setup. However, he is yet to make his senior debut for the club.
Walters has been expected to leave Arsenal this summer for some time, as he is clearly keen to enjoy first team football at this stage.
Rangers enter race to secure future of Arsenal ace Reuell Walters
As reported by The Scotsman, Rangers are now keen on securing the teenager’s services. The full-back would stand a good chance of playing regularly if he were to move north of the border.
As things stand Walter’s current contract is set to expire at the end of this month, meaning he would then be able to join Rangers as a free agent.
However, Mikel Arteta has not given up on convincing the youngster to stay in North London. Arsenal have now opened new contract talks with Walters in an attempt to seal a late deal to secure his future. It has to be imagined, though, that the Gunners will have to make some assurances of first team opportunities to Walters if he is to be convinced to extend his stay at the club.
The Gunners are also trying to tempt Amario Cozier-Duberry and goalkeeper Karl Hein into penning new deals.
How Arsenal can give Reuell Walters the games he needs
It is easy to see why Arteta is keen to retain Walters. Whilst the England under-20 international is yet to be tested at senior level, his quality and potential is well known within the club, and he has regularly trained with the first team group. On one of these occasions, Oleksandr Zinchenko was amazed by how strongly Walters competed with Gabriel Jesus.
Making the leap from academy level to the first team squad is arguably the single hardest thing to do in football, especially within a club aiming to compete for the biggest prizes in the game. Under Arteta, Arsenal are now genuine Premier League title contenders. However, such is the standard at the top of the English top flight table, and the margin for error so fine, it is hard to take a chance on a youngster, knowing that they will likely make mistakes that they can then learn from.
One solution could come in the form of a loan move. If Walters does sign a new deal with Arsenal, the Gunners may be willing to send him away from the club on a temporary basis in order to get a taste of senior action elsewhere.