Mikel Arteta promotes two teenagers of Nigerian descent to first team training

Arsenal have started pre-season preparations ahead of the start of the 2022-2023 campaign, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

With some of his first team players yet to report to the training base at London Colney, manager Mikel Arteta invited some promising academy players to train with the first team.

The training images published by Arsenal on their official website confirmed that two teenagers of Nigerian descent in midfielder Miguel Azeez and central defender Zach Awe trained with the first teamers on Wednesday.

Nigerian-born midfielder Tim Akinola is still rehabbing after suffering a serious ankle injury that required surgery in the second half of last season during a loan spell at Dundee United, so wasn't invited to train with the first team.

England U21 international of Nigerian descent, Folarin Balogun participated in the training session.

Azeez and Awe were often promoted to first team training during the 2021-2022 season but didn't get minutes in any official match.

The midfielder was included in four Premier League matchday squads while the centre-back's first and only squad involvement for the first team was against Wolverhampton Wanderers on February 10.

Azeez and Awe will be hoping to be involved when Arsenal take on FC Nürnberg in their first pre-season game on Friday, July 8.

The Gunners have also lined up friendlies against Everton, Orlando City, Chelsea and Sevilla before their Premier League opener at Crystal Palace.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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