Young Arsenal defender Tolaji Bola is reportedly close to making his full first-team debut.
Arsenal youth team expert Jeorge Bird has tipped Bola to become the next youngster to break into the first-team set-up in the near future.
He was part of the squad that travelled to Bournemouth on Thursday, but was not named in the official 18-man matchday squad.
Bola would’ve been on hand if any last-minute injuries occurred ahead of the game at the Vitality stadium, but that wasn’t to be.
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This could be a very exciting player for Arsenal fans to keep an eye on.
Bola is a versatile defender and he’s someone who could give Arteta a lot of options at the back. Originally starting out as a central defender, Bola was re-trained as a right-sided full-back after joining the Gunners at a young age.
The recent injuries to the likes of Sead Kolasinac, Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin has left the club very short in both full-back positions, which may force Arteta to take a closer look at the club’s academy.
During his time with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, their inability to bring through some of the club’s younger stars had been one of only a few question marks surrounding their stint at the club, so it remains to be seen what approach Arteta will take at Arsenal.
