“Think he’s going to be top” – Jack Wilshere names player who has impressed him the most while training with Arsenal as free agent

Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere returned to the club in the autumn of 2021 and has since been training with them.

He has been a free agent since July 2021 and last played for Championship club Bournemouth. The north London club have no plans to sign their former academy graduate but are helping him train and complete his coaching badges.

This has given Wilshere an opportunity to closely observe the Arsenal senior squad and he has many positive things to say about what he's seen at the club. The 30-year old was speaking to Arsenal media as published by the Daily Mail about the growing importance of young players at the club who have nailed a spot in the starting XI. He said:

"The obvious ones, who everyone knows about are Bukayo [Saka] and Emile [Smith Rowe]. I think you've just got to look at the level that they are setting, the consistency that they're putting in every week, their performances and they've got a manager as well who trusts them."

Wilshere believes the growing involvement of these two Hale End graduates is a very optimistic sign for other up-and-coming prospects in the youth setup. He added:

"I think if you're a young player at Arsenal coming through the academy now, you should look at that and think, 'Well, if I'm good enough, I'm going to get a chance, no matter how old I am.'"

The former England international must look at Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka and feel like he's watching his younger self. After all, he himself was a product of the Hale End Academy and was considered the best to have ever come from the youth ranks at Arsenal.

However, Wilshere heaped some special praise on the youngster who is not from their youth system and that is Brazilian starlet Gabriel Martinelli. The Englishman said:

"But the one who I really like and think he's going to be top, is Martinelli. I think what the manager has done with him has been genius as well."

"When I first went there he was training, coming on, not playing much, but training really well and I was thinking, 'He's going to get a chance here' and he eventually got his chance and he's been brilliant."

The 20-year old became an instant crowd favorite upon his arrival from Ituano FC back in 2019. A knee-injury saw him sidelined for nearly six months from mid-2020 to the end of the year. Mikel Arteta has since been patient with the young striker and has avoided putting a lot of pressure on him.

The Spaniard's approach finally seems to be paying off as Martinelli is becoming more effective on the left wing and is also getting better at coping up with the physicality of the league.

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Mass exodus at Arsenal could hamper their march for the Premier League top-four

The Gunners faithful want their club to be back among the Champions League places after the past couple of seasons have been very mediocre. Mikel Arteta is trying to build a youthful team at Arsenal with players ready to give their full commitment to the club.

Keeping that in mind, the Spaniard and their technical director Edu Gaspar carried out a massive winter transfer window that saw as many as 14 players leave Arsenal. Many first-team players like Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Calum Chambers, Sead Kolasinac, Pablo Mari and axed captain Pierre Emerick Aubameyang have all left permanently or on loan.

This leaves Arsenal with a thin first-team squad of 19 members without any incomings in January. The north London club currently sit sixth in the points table with 36 points and are locked in a four-way race for fourth spot.

Arteta will be praying that COVID, injuries and suspensions do not bring further crisis to the squad, something that would push them to their limits.