Arsenal manager promotes Olayinka to first team training pre-Wolverhampton Wanderers

Published: February 24, 2022
 Arsenal manager promotes Olayinka to first team training pre-Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta invited forgotten London-born Nigerian midfielder James Olayinka to first team training on Wednesday.

Olayinka trained with the first teamers at London Colney a day before the Gunners take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in a Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium.

The Hale End Academy product has dropped off the radar this season due to fitness issues that prevented Football League clubs from signing him on loan in the two transfer windows.

Olayinka had been tipped to follow in the footsteps of other Hale Enders such as Alex Iwobi and Bukayo Saka who broke into the first team from the academy but that has not materialized yet.

The 21-year-old was given the opportunity to train with Arsenal's first team before the start of the 2019-2020 season under Unai Emery and traveled with the squad to the United States, where he featured in matches against Colorado Rapids and Fiorentina.

This season, Olayinka has started just two of Arsenal's nineteen matches in the Premier League 2 but shone in the Papa John's Trophy with two goals in three starts.

Another Nigeria-eligible youngster Arthur Okonkwo, fresh from captaining the development squad at Leicester City, was involved in Wednesday's session.

Igho Kingsley


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