---
title: "Arsenal: Nigel Winterburn pleased with youthful Gunners policy"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/arsenal-nigel-winterburn-pleased-with-youthful-gunners-policy/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Stephan Georgiou"
section: "Arsenal Football Club"
published: "2019-07-30T14:15:25Z"
modified: "2019-07-30T14:15:25Z"
---

# Arsenal: Nigel Winterburn pleased with youthful Gunners policy

**Arsenal’s recent activity in the transfer market has excited former Arsenal full-back Nigel Winterburn – who believes the current rebuild of the Gunners squad is heading in the right direction.**

[![Football Writers' Association: Opening the Door to BAME Journalists](https://cdn.footballleagueworld.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/FWA-Inblogs-Ad-mob-1.png)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/football-writers-association-opening-the-door-to-bame-journalists-tickets-64426612733)

Unai Emery has welcomed two new faces in the past week, with the addition of midfielder [Dani Ceballos](https://www.arsenal.com/news/holadani-ceballos-joins-us-loan) – on loan from Real Madrid – being swiftly followed by French teenager [William Saliba](https://www.arsenal.com/news/salibasigns-saliba-join-club), who will go back out on loan to Saint-Etienne.

And Arsenal are set to smash their [transfer record](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42859716), with reports of [Nicolas Pepe](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/11772747/nicolas-pepe-set-for-arsenal-medical-after-72m-deal-is-agreed-with-lille) joining from Lille subject to a medical after the two clubs reportedly agreed a fee of around £72m.

Winterburn believes the influx of young talent will take the club forward in the long run – as a handful of youngsters from Arsenal’s youth teams look set for first-team berths.

Speaking to [Love Sport Radio](https://www.lovesportradio.com/news/love-sport-exclusives/winterburn-pepe-can-lead-young-revival/), he said: “I’m excited about what Arsenal have been trying to do, particularly in the last few days. I think what Arsenal needed to do is move this squad around a little bit.

“I’ve been saying that for the last couple of seasons, and I like that Arsenal are introducing a couple of the younger players into the squad, and the players they’re bringing in are a bit younger as well.

Arsenal have recently installed the likes of [Joe Willock](https://www.skysports.com/football/arsenal-vs-fiorentina/406718) and [Reiss Nelson](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/07/28/reiss-nelson-makes-mark-matteo-guendouzi-hits-ground-running/) to the first team having featured the youngsters heavily in pre-season, and Winterburn has spoken highly of the Gunners duo.

He continued: “I like Willock for sure, midfield player, I think he’s very similar to \[Aaron\] Ramsey in that he makes a lot of forward runs, Reiss Nelson has been talked about for the last year and a half. I think he can break into the first team and it could be a huge season for him.”

The Gunners’ signings so far do suggest that Emery has been putting an emphasis on youth and building for the future, with [Pepe](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/nicolas-pepe/profil/spieler/343052) set to become the oldest of Arsenal’s [new recruits](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-arsenal/transfers/verein/11/saison_id/2019) at 24 – while other youngsters have impressed in pre-season – such as 20-year-old [Eddie Nketiah](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49061594), with three goals to his name.

And in building for the future with centre-back Saliba to join the club fully [next year](https://www.arsenal.com/news/salibasigns-saliba-join-club), the amount of forward planning involved in Emery’s transfer strategy suggests a long-term gameplan is firmly up and running.