Arsenal and Arsene Wenger are famed for bringing through young players into the first-team, and over the years we’ve seen the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Hector Bellerin rise through the youth ranks to become stars in their own right.
It doesn’t always work out that way, though, and, more often than not, a highly-rated player can slip away into obscurity never to be seen again. For Arsenal, there are plenty of high-profile examples of this.
For every Bellerin, there’s a Justin Hoyte. For every Fabregas, there’s a Henri Lansbury. For every Van Persie, there’s a Nicklas Bendtner. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, which seemingly gives us one flop for every success.
With Denilson, now at Al Wahda – one such flop – having had his Cruzeiro loan deal scrapped this week, we at FootballFanCast thought it would make for interesting reading to look at some other forgotten Gunners prodigies and where they are now… enjoy!
Fran Merida
Once hailed as the future of Arsenal’s midfield and touted as the next Fabregas, Merida struggled to see the light of day in the Gunners’ first-team and left in 2010 with just a handful of appearances. A spell at Atletico Madrid didn’t work out, with playmaker then becoming a journeyman within Spanish football.
Time with Hercules, Atletico Paranaense (in Brazil) and Huesca followed before he arrived at his current club, Osasuna, last summer. His impressive performances with Huesca last year earned him a fresh chance in Spain’s top-flight but so far he’s managed just four La Liga appearances, finding the net once.
Arturo Lupoli
Rising through the ranks at the same time as a certain Nicklas Bendtner, Italian striker Arturo Lupoli managed just one Premier League appearance before he was shipped off to Fiorentina in 2007. In Florence, he again struggled to find his feet and, after several loan spells and zero Serie A appearances, he left for Ascoli.
From there, Lupoli managed to find some stability with the Serie B side and has stayed in the lower divisions of Italian football ever since, representing Grosseto, Varese, Frosinone and Pisa. However, now 29, he’s once again struggling for football with his current side.
Francis Jeffers
Arguably one of Arsene Wenger’s worst ever Arsenal signings, the former Everton youngster cost the Gunners a whopping £10m back in 2001. Rated extremely highly and tipped to become a star for club and country, Jeffers failed to make the grade at Arsenal.
Following his departure in 2004, Jeffers represented a whopping nine sides in the following nine seasons before announcing his retirement in 2013. His most successful spell came during three years with Sheffield Wednesday between 2007 and 2010 but even there his record wasn’t great – just five goals from 54 Football League appearances.
Jermaine Pennant
Costing Arsenal £2m in 1999, Pennant was another Englishman tipped for a bright future with the Gunners after his arrival from Notts County but, following seven long years at the club, he had just 12 Premier League appearances to his name.
Ten clubs in ten years have followed since, which includes time with Premier League sides Stoke City and Liverpool, with Pennant now representing Singapore side Tampines Rovers. Aged 33, his years are drawing to a close and he’ll wonder what might have been had he achieved more success with one of his four Premier League clubs.
Amaury Bischoff
Arsene Wenger admitted he took a gamble on a talent when Bischoff was signed on a free transfer in 2008 and it was, unfortunately, one that didn’t pay off for all involved. Lasting just one-year in north London, he only settled into his career four years ago.
Now 29, Bischoff represents Prussia Munster in the third division of German football. He’s notched up over 100 league appearances for the minnows and captains the side, who aren’t enjoying success this year as they sit 18th in their league.