Arsenal’s Regret: Former Academy Player Excelling Beyond Current Stars

While Arsenal enjoyed warm-weather training in Dubai, their attacking woes came into focus after failing to progress in the FA Cup. The need for offensive reinforcements was highlighted by an unsuccessful bid for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.

However, a former Arsenal youth prospect is making waves abroad, outperforming both Kai Havertz and Watkins this season. Michael Olise, who briefly played in Arsenal’s academy before leaving on a free transfer, is now thriving at Bayern Munich after a £50 million move from Crystal Palace.

In 31 appearances totaling 1959 minutes for Bayern, Olise has scored 10 goals and provided 12 assists. This impressive tally of 22 goal involvements surpasses both Havertz (20) and Watkins (20) this season. Olise is averaging a goal involvement every 89 minutes, showcasing his game-changing ability.

While it’s difficult to fault Arsenal for losing Olise at such a young age, his current form highlights what could have been. The creative dynamo would undoubtedly strengthen Mikel Arteta’s attacking options, which have struggled for consistency this season outside of Bukayo Saka.

As Arsenal look to bolster their squad to compete on multiple fronts, the success of Olise serves as a reminder of the importance of nurturing and retaining young talent. His performances in Germany will likely have the Gunners wondering what might have been had they managed to keep hold of the “wizard” in their ranks.