Arsenal have always been known as a club that promotes youth players from the academy to the first-team and that was a theme that continued right to the end of Arsene Wenger’s tenure.
This season, Unai Emery has continued that trend and the likes of Emile Smith-Rowe have been inserted into the side for Arsenal’s Europa League games. Moreover, Ainsley Maitland-Niles has continued to feature into the first-team while Eddie Nketiah is fast becoming a squad rotation player for Emery.
One of Arsenal’s most promising youth academy products, Reiss Nelson was sent away from the club to German side, Hoffenheim where he seems to be blossoming. One of Arsenal’s other academy prospects, Krystian Bielik was also sent on loan away from the club but unlike Nelson, Bielik hasn’t quite made the headlines at Charlton.
In fairness to the young defender, he was sent to a club where there are a multitude of off-field problems. The owner is completely disliked by the fans, the fans are completely dissatisfied with what’s going on and the club doesn’t seem to have money. Yet Charlton still find themselves in sixth place and very much one of the teams that could gain promotion this season.
Bielik has played 10 games for the south London side and although at times he’s been dropped for the squad, he’s played a big role for Lee Bowyer. After a year where Bielik failed to play much first-team football due to a knee injury, Bielik needed to get back to playing consistent minutes and at the moment, he’s getting that.
Two years ago he had a poor season with Birmingham and is still yet to break into the first-team. However, with Laurent Koscielny entering his twilight years, and Shkodran Mustafi continuing to be an error-prone defender, there may be a space for the defender at the club.
However, it would seem that if Emery had seen some future at the club for Bielik, he would’ve kept him. The Pole could’ve played some minutes this season and may also have gained some valuable experience in the Europa League.
Arsenal don’t have many players at the position and therefore, it’s quite telling that he wasn’t kept around. Rob Holding is quickly becoming an essential player in the side and with Arsenal possibly looking to add a defender in January, it seems as though Bielik’s future at the club may well be over at Arsenal.
