Speak to any Arsenal fan in the Transfer Tavern and they’ll proudly share a drink with you, as they reel of a vast list of names that Arsene Wenger and the North London club developed into genuine stars.
Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and many others all made their name in NW5, whilst the likes of Ashley Cole, Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas made their way through the youth ranks- although it’s advised you don’t mention how that trio ended up.
Surely then, for such a proud club with a strong tradition and solid youth set-up, nothing can ever go wrong? Well, that’s not quite the case as there have been many highly-rated youngsters at Arsenal that simply never made the grade.
Ladies and gentleman, here we present five of the most overhyped Arsenal youngsters in the Gunners history. These lads were tipped for greatness but instead found themselves in an everlasting pit of mediocrity.
Hit Wenger below to see FIVE Arsenal highly-rated Gunners who failed to make the grade!
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Francis Jeffers
Quite possibly Arsene Wenger’s worst purchase in his successful career, Arsenal spent £8m to bring 20-year-old Francis Jeffers to Highbury from Everton. At that time, it was one of the most expensive dealings Wenger had splashed out for and in 2001 it was a very high price for a player.
The fox-in-the-box ended up being more like a badger in a skip, in truth, as he failed to make the grade. Sure, it’s difficult being a striker in the days of Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and Dennis Bergkamp but Jeffers didn’t even make a splash.
He was later loaned back to Everton and didn’t even get much success there, although he can boast being an England international.
Fran Merida
Hailed as the next Cesc Fabregas at Arsenal, Fran Merida followed in the World Cup winner’s footsteps by moving from Barcelona’s esteemed La Masia academy to North London. Incidentally, the pair also shared the same agent.
He managed making just eight official appearances for Arsenal, before being snapped up by Atletico Madrid. There, he endured more disappointment and he now plays for Huesca in Spain’s second-tier, a far cry from what many expected.
Still just 25, there’s time for Merida to enjoy some success but he stated last year that leaving Arsenal and London was the worst decision he ever made. The grass isn’t always greener kids!
Jermaine Pennant
Costing Arsenal £2m at the age of just 15, Jermaine Pennant was a player that many had high expectations for. He made his debut in 1999 and became the youngest Arsenal player in history, a record that was later broken by Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere, and that’s really as good as it got for the winger.
Over a seven year period in North London, Pennant found first-team football difficult to come by and finished his Arsenal career with just five starts. His reputation also got the better of him, as he turned up late to training and liked to party.
If you’re a world beater like Zlatan Ibrahimovic you may be able to get away with that sort of attitude but if you’re Jermaine Pennant it’s not going to do you any favours.
David Bentley
Heralded as the next David Beckham, Bentley signed for Arsenal at the age of just 13 and was handed his senior debut just three years later. He later scored in the FA Cup, whilst making an appearance in the Premier League. Not a bad start but it soon derailed.
He was loaned to Norwich City and Blackburn Rovers, the latter of whom he later joined permanently and enjoyed some success with. From there, he moved back to North London and spent five years with Tottenham- scoring a spectacular strike in a thrilling 4-4 draw against former employers Arsenal.
Whilst many thought he’d now find his feet, it wasn’t to be. Spells with Birmingham, West Ham, FC Rostov and a return to Blackburn followed but he couldn’t find stability. He was released in 2013 by Spurs and spent a year as a free agent, before announcing his retirement at the age of just 29.
Jeremie Aliadiere
Signed in 1999 at the age of just 16, Jeremy Aliadiere made waves as a young forward. In back-to-back FA Youth Cup successes, the French striker set a record for the most goals in the competition and the record still stood heading into this decade.
At first-team level though, Aliadiere didn’t find his find at all. In 52 Arsenal appearances, he managed a return of just eight goals- a record that makes Christian Benteke this season look like the Belgian Pele.
He now plays in Qatar, having spent time at Middlesbrough and Lorient previously- neither of whom he had a good scoring record for.
