Teenage Nigerian-Born Midfielder Akinola Training With Arsenal First Team

Allnigeriasoccer.com understands that teenage Nigerian-born midfielder Tim Akinola has been promoted to first team training by manager Mikel Arteta.

With at least twenty players including youth-teamers away on international duty with their respective countries, the Gunners are short on personal at the moment, leaving Arteta with no choice than to call up some promising youngsters left in the academy during this period to train with the first team.

Bukayo Saka, Folarin Balogun, Miguel Azeez and Daniel Oyegoke are among the Arsenal players called up to the England squads this month.

Since Akinola's celebrated move to the Emirates Stadium from Huddersfield Town, he has trained several times with Arsenal's first team and Arteta also monitored him at close quarters on Wednesday, October 7.

Despite officially joining the Gunners only three months ago, Akinola has emerged as one of the first names on the teamsheet under U23s manager Steve Bould, starting the last three matches contested by the club in the Premier League 2 while coming off the bench against Ipswich Town and Southampton B.

Akinola is an U21 player and eligible to represent Arsenal's first team in the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup but does not qualify to be included in their List B for the Europa League though he is an association trained player.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel