Despite the efforts of those at Arsenal, it seems as if one of the club’s best young defensive prospects is determined to leave.
Whilst they’ll also be enjoying Euro 2024 over the coming month, Mikel Arteta and Edu have a considerable task on their hands.
Arsenal need to improve on a record-breaking season, which, despite its highs, ultimately resulted in another trophyless campaign.
And if reports are to be believed, Arteta has decided that Arsenal need a number of new signings to better compete with Manchester City.
First of all, the Arsenal boss wants a young striker to provide backup for and compete with Kai Havertz, perhaps RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
Edu has then been tasked with signing a new central midfielder, with Arsenal now being quoted a cut-price to sign Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz.
Moreover, last on the list is a full-back, someone to provide better competition for Arteta’s current incumbents.
And that transfer desire perhaps that explains why 19-year-old Reuell Walters is reportedly so keen to leave Arsenal when his contract expires at the end of this month.
Arsenal want Reuell Walters to stay but he’s determined to find first-team football
It was recently reported that Arsenal were trying to keep three youngsters at the club despite their expiring contracts, with Walters being one.
But according to a report now shared by The Athletic, that seems unlikely to be the case.
Walters, a real success story of the Hale End academy having represented England at under-20 level, wants to leave Arsenal this month in order to pursue first-team football.
Arsenal are still optimistic that they can persuade ‘amazing’ Walters to stay, but will perhaps be left disappointed once June concludes.
As mentioned, Arsenal are attempting to sign a new full-back right now, demonstrating how there simply isn’t the pathway for talents like Walters to make the first-team step.
When will Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly get their Arsenal chance?
Given the level Arsenal are competing at right now, the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, two of the club’s most promising academy talents for some years, are still far away from the first-team set up too.
Perhaps those chances will arrive in the coming years for the pair mentioned, but at 19-years-old, it’s hard to blame Walters for feeling as if his senior career is stalling.
Similarly, you can understand why Arsenal would be loath to lose such a talent, who’s captained multiple youth sides.
All that being said, a much more senior defender, William Saliba, was handed a rare chance to start for his country on Sunday evening.
And French media have now been sharing their verdict on Saliba’s performance.