Noisy Neighbours - the Man City thread

[Archer]

Sancho was nevertheless in the academy for two years, thought he was assured some first team playing time and when left out of a pre-season squad pined for a move

Much like Chelsea (though without the attention) its tough for the Academy boys there

Foden gets occasional time and beyond that?

It struck me when i saw Delph struggle at the weekend that there is Zinchenko sitting on the bench, a proper left back who i have only seen play in the flesh in the league cup but has looked a real talent whenever i have. Looks absolutely ready for playing time and when Mendy isn't fit he plays a midfielder there

Sancho - he and his people verbally agreed a new contract with City (biggest ever for someone his age)  and shook hands on it. He was going on the tour but he reneged on the contract, City said stfu, he skipped training, went incommunicado and City v unhappy with him.    Pep actually unusually v candid about it here: http://twitter.com/Sammy_Goal/status/906268423931535361     Definitely more opportunities for him at Dortmund though so definitely a good move for him so far.
He has had about 2000 minutes so far in his 1 1/2 seasons so far.

Foden has just signed a new 6 year contract and he has played about 900 minutes so far for City (+ PL2). Love to see him get more time and hopefully that will happen naturally without him having to go on loan.

Zinchenko - very popular guy with everyone at the club. Technically he is very good and last year he  fitted into the City system very easily. He turned down a move to Wolves for about £15 mill in the summer. The problem is he is not a full back, he is pretty awful defensively and lacks pace. Delph covered full-back very well last year but, like Walker, his recent form has been all over the place. He is a midfielder not a bloody fullback.

[tikay]

^^^^^

Foden looks a fabulous prospect, mature well beyond his years.

[hhyftrftdr]

Yeah Zinchenko is as much of a left back as Delph is. Both can fill in there (Delph excellently last season) but it's not the natural position of either. With Delph suspended and Mendy injured, it looks like Zin will get at least a game or 2 in the team, and as Delph's form has dropped off a cliff he might find it tough to get back in the XI. Zinchenko is good but I'm unsure he'll ever be at the level required for City, hence the interest from Wolves. Fair fucks to him though for turning it down to battle on in Manchester.

I don't see how selling Diaz is a ''shame'' for the academy. This is exactly why we have the academy, to sell young players on for big profit. We might strike it lucky and unearth a genuine wolrd beating talent (Foden potentially), but the reality is these kids need to be incredibly good with the right attitude to just have a sniff of getting in the first team squad. It's understandable that some might get frustrated and seek pastures new, but these are often the youngsters that just won't cut the mustard long term.

It's an unpopular opinion in some parts, but the sole purpose of the academy is to make money. And in that respect it's doing it's job.

[TightEnd]

Surely the first and foremost aim for any academy is to produce players for the first team, and potentially save millions in transfer fees by doing so?

Not sure they are farm systems for spending years in developing players only to sell them on for someone else to get the benefit, whilst of course accepting that the hit rate at the top clubs will be low because the PL squads contain world class players that are difficult to dislodge

This I think will be even more the case post Brexit with possible restrictions on overseas players coming in, and already 11(I think) of match day squads have to be homegrown (developed in this country)

[hhyftrftdr]

Surely the first and foremost aim for any academy is to produce players for the first team, and potentially save millions in transfer fees by doing so?

Not sure they are farm systems for spending years in developing players only to sell them on for someone else to get the benefit, whilst of course accepting that the hit rate at the top clubs will be low because the PL squads contain world class players that are difficult to dislodge

This I think will be even more the case post Brexit with possible restrictions on overseas players coming in, and already 11(I think) of match day squads have to be homegrown (developed in this country)

The academy is there to produce footballers. In an ideal world for us, but the nature of the beast is that it's highly unlikely they will make the grade with City, hence our academy primarily being there to make £££. If we unearth a gem along the way then happy days, but that would be a bonus rather than an expectation.

There isn't really one youngster we've sold in recent years that looks a bad decision. Sancho might come back to bite us on the arse, but there was a lot more going on behind the scenes with that. There is another young lad who moved to Spain, name escapes me, who is doing pretty well but again hardly a regret.

I know a lot of fans pine for local lads to rise through the ranks to the first team, and at many clubs that is still a possibility, but at the very top end for clubs like City, expected to challenge on 4 fronts every season, any youngster hoping to get some game time has to be incredibly good and patient.

It's not one size fits all so the academy at Crystal Palace for example serves a slightly different purpose to ours.

I view our academy like its a university; anyone lucky enough to go there will get a great football education, and the end goal will hopefully be a career in the game. Just probably not for City.

[DungBeetle]

Yeah Zinchenko is as much of a left back as Delph is. Both can fill in there (Delph excellently last season) but it's not the natural position of either. With Delph suspended and Mendy injured, it looks like Zin will get at least a game or 2 in the team, and as Delph's form has dropped off a cliff he might find it tough to get back in the XI. Zinchenko is good but I'm unsure he'll ever be at the level required for City, hence the interest from Wolves. Fair fucks to him though for turning it down to battle on in Manchester.

I don't see how selling Diaz is a ''shame'' for the academy. This is exactly why we have the academy, to sell young players on for big profit. We might strike it lucky and unearth a genuine wolrd beating talent (Foden potentially), but the reality is these kids need to be incredibly good with the right attitude to just have a sniff of getting in the first team squad. It's understandable that some might get frustrated and seek pastures new, but these are often the youngsters that just won't cut the mustard long term.

It's an unpopular opinion in some parts, but the sole purpose of the academy is to make money. And in that respect it's doing it's job.

If that is the case would be great if you leave the smaller club prospects like Sancho where they are rather than acting like a vampire?  I mean how much money do you need with your backers?

[hhyftrftdr]

Yeah Zinchenko is as much of a left back as Delph is. Both can fill in there (Delph excellently last season) but it's not the natural position of either. With Delph suspended and Mendy injured, it looks like Zin will get at least a game or 2 in the team, and as Delph's form has dropped off a cliff he might find it tough to get back in the XI. Zinchenko is good but I'm unsure he'll ever be at the level required for City, hence the interest from Wolves. Fair fucks to him though for turning it down to battle on in Manchester.

I don't see how selling Diaz is a ''shame'' for the academy. This is exactly why we have the academy, to sell young players on for big profit. We might strike it lucky and unearth a genuine wolrd beating talent (Foden potentially), but the reality is these kids need to be incredibly good with the right attitude to just have a sniff of getting in the first team squad. It's understandable that some might get frustrated and seek pastures new, but these are often the youngsters that just won't cut the mustard long term.

It's an unpopular opinion in some parts, but the sole purpose of the academy is to make money. And in that respect it's doing it's job.

If that is the case would be great if you leave the smaller club prospects like Sancho where they are rather than acting like a vampire?  I mean how much money do you need with your backers?

Quite a lot, thanks to FFP bollocks.

You can thank UEFA for that

[Archer]

Surely the first and foremost aim for any academy is to produce players for the first team, and potentially save millions in transfer fees by doing so?

Not sure they are farm systems for spending years in developing players only to sell them on for someone else to get the benefit, whilst of course accepting that the hit rate at the top clubs will be low because the PL squads contain world class players that are difficult to dislodge

This I think will be even more the case post Brexit with possible restrictions on overseas players coming in, and already 11(I think) of match day squads have to be homegrown (developed in this country)

The academy is there to produce footballers. In an ideal world for us, but the nature of the beast is that it's highly unlikely they will make the grade with City, hence our academy primarily being there to make £££. If we unearth a gem along the way then happy days, but that would be a bonus rather than an expectation.

There isn't really one youngster we've sold in recent years that looks a bad decision. Sancho might come back to bite us on the arse, but there was a lot more going on behind the scenes with that. There is another young lad who moved to Spain, name escapes me, who is doing pretty well but again hardly a regret.

I know a lot of fans pine for local lads to rise through the ranks to the first team, and at many clubs that is still a possibility, but at the very top end for clubs like City, expected to challenge on 4 fronts every season, any youngster hoping to get some game time has to be incredibly good and patient.

It's not one size fits all so the academy at Crystal Palace for example serves a slightly different purpose to ours.

I view our academy like its a university; anyone lucky enough to go there will get a great football education, and the end goal will hopefully be a career in the game. Just probably not for City.

Exactly.

Foden is so far ahead of the curve as far as youngsters at the big 6 are concerned and discounting the young players who have moved to the top clubs on full pro contracts at 17+  ( like Gomez and Solanke at Liverpool)

Spurs have a great reputation for bringing youngsters through but i think there are only 2 currently who've come through the ranks and are on the verge of making it.  Winks is nearly 23 and has 53/2000 (apps/mins) and Walker-Peters 21 with 5/290.

LIverpool  have Trent and he's smashed it.

Rashford has smashed it at United and McTominay (22) has got 975 PL mins under his belt. Pereira has been witrh them ages and he'll make it somewhere. Angel thingmebob is the big hope.

Arsenal all I can think of is Maitland Niles  21 with  21/1069 in PL.

[Tal]

Surely the first and foremost aim for any academy is to produce players for the first team, and potentially save millions in transfer fees by doing so?

Not sure they are farm systems for spending years in developing players only to sell them on for someone else to get the benefit, whilst of course accepting that the hit rate at the top clubs will be low because the PL squads contain world class players that are difficult to dislodge

This I think will be even more the case post Brexit with possible restrictions on overseas players coming in, and already 11(I think) of match day squads have to be homegrown (developed in this country)

The academy is there to produce footballers. In an ideal world for us, but the nature of the beast is that it's highly unlikely they will make the grade with City, hence our academy primarily being there to make £££. If we unearth a gem along the way then happy days, but that would be a bonus rather than an expectation.

There isn't really one youngster we've sold in recent years that looks a bad decision. Sancho might come back to bite us on the arse, but there was a lot more going on behind the scenes with that. There is another young lad who moved to Spain, name escapes me, who is doing pretty well but again hardly a regret.

I know a lot of fans pine for local lads to rise through the ranks to the first team, and at many clubs that is still a possibility, but at the very top end for clubs like City, expected to challenge on 4 fronts every season, any youngster hoping to get some game time has to be incredibly good and patient.

It's not one size fits all so the academy at Crystal Palace for example serves a slightly different purpose to ours.

I view our academy like its a university; anyone lucky enough to go there will get a great football education, and the end goal will hopefully be a career in the game. Just probably not for City.

Exactly.

Foden is so far ahead of the curve as far as youngsters at the big 6 are concerned and discounting the young players who have moved to the top clubs on full pro contracts at 17+  ( like Gomez and Solanke at Liverpool)

Spurs have a great reputation for bringing youngsters through but i think there are only 2 currently who've come through the ranks and are on the verge of making it.  Winks is nearly 23 and has 53/2000 (apps/mins) and Walker-Peters 21 with 5/290.

LIverpool  have Trent and he's smashed it.

Rashford has smashed it at United and McTominay (22) has got 975 PL mins under his belt. Pereira has been witrh them ages and he'll make it somewhere. Angel thingmebob is the big hope.

Arsenal all I can think of is Maitland Niles  21 with  21/1069 in PL.

Oliver Skipp made his debut the other week. Tashan Oakley-Booth has been on the bench a few times.

Of course, there's also Mr Kane.

[Karabiner]

Surely the first and foremost aim for any academy is to produce players for the first team, and potentially save millions in transfer fees by doing so?

Not sure they are farm systems for spending years in developing players only to sell them on for someone else to get the benefit, whilst of course accepting that the hit rate at the top clubs will be low because the PL squads contain world class players that are difficult to dislodge

This I think will be even more the case post Brexit with possible restrictions on overseas players coming in, and already 11(I think) of match day squads have to be homegrown (developed in this country)

The academy is there to produce footballers. In an ideal world for us, but the nature of the beast is that it's highly unlikely they will make the grade with City, hence our academy primarily being there to make £££. If we unearth a gem along the way then happy days, but that would be a bonus rather than an expectation.

There isn't really one youngster we've sold in recent years that looks a bad decision. Sancho might come back to bite us on the arse, but there was a lot more going on behind the scenes with that. There is another young lad who moved to Spain, name escapes me, who is doing pretty well but again hardly a regret.

I know a lot of fans pine for local lads to rise through the ranks to the first team, and at many clubs that is still a possibility, but at the very top end for clubs like City, expected to challenge on 4 fronts every season, any youngster hoping to get some game time has to be incredibly good and patient.

It's not one size fits all so the academy at Crystal Palace for example serves a slightly different purpose to ours.

I view our academy like its a university; anyone lucky enough to go there will get a great football education, and the end goal will hopefully be a career in the game. Just probably not for City.

Exactly.

Foden is so far ahead of the curve as far as youngsters at the big 6 are concerned and discounting the young players who have moved to the top clubs on full pro contracts at 17+  ( like Gomez and Solanke at Liverpool)

Spurs have a great reputation for bringing youngsters through but i think there are only 2 currently who've come through the ranks and are on the verge of making it.  Winks is nearly 23 and has 53/2000 (apps/mins) and Walker-Peters 21 with 5/290.

LIverpool  have Trent and he's smashed it.

Rashford has smashed it at United and McTominay (22) has got 975 PL mins under his belt. Pereira has been witrh them ages and he'll make it somewhere. Angel thingmebob is the big hope.

Arsenal all I can think of is Maitland Niles  21 with  21/1069 in PL.

Reiss Nelson is having a pretty good season in Germany.

[Archer]

Surely the first and foremost aim for any academy is to produce players for the first team, and potentially save millions in transfer fees by doing so?

Not sure they are farm systems for spending years in developing players only to sell them on for someone else to get the benefit, whilst of course accepting that the hit rate at the top clubs will be low because the PL squads contain world class players that are difficult to dislodge

This I think will be even more the case post Brexit with possible restrictions on overseas players coming in, and already 11(I think) of match day squads have to be homegrown (developed in this country)

The academy is there to produce footballers. In an ideal world for us, but the nature of the beast is that it's highly unlikely they will make the grade with City, hence our academy primarily being there to make £££. If we unearth a gem along the way then happy days, but that would be a bonus rather than an expectation.

There isn't really one youngster we've sold in recent years that looks a bad decision. Sancho might come back to bite us on the arse, but there was a lot more going on behind the scenes with that. There is another young lad who moved to Spain, name escapes me, who is doing pretty well but again hardly a regret.

I know a lot of fans pine for local lads to rise through the ranks to the first team, and at many clubs that is still a possibility, but at the very top end for clubs like City, expected to challenge on 4 fronts every season, any youngster hoping to get some game time has to be incredibly good and patient.

It's not one size fits all so the academy at Crystal Palace for example serves a slightly different purpose to ours.

I view our academy like its a university; anyone lucky enough to go there will get a great football education, and the end goal will hopefully be a career in the game. Just probably not for City.

Exactly.

Foden is so far ahead of the curve as far as youngsters at the big 6 are concerned and discounting the young players who have moved to the top clubs on full pro contracts at 17+  ( like Gomez and Solanke at Liverpool)

Spurs have a great reputation for bringing youngsters through but i think there are only 2 currently who've come through the ranks and are on the verge of making it.  Winks is nearly 23 and has 53/2000 (apps/mins) and Walker-Peters 21 with 5/290.

LIverpool  have Trent and he's smashed it.

Rashford has smashed it at United and McTominay (22) has got 975 PL mins under his belt. Pereira has been witrh them ages and he'll make it somewhere. Angel thingmebob is the big hope.

Arsenal all I can think of is Maitland Niles  21 with  21/1069 in PL.

Oliver Skipp made his debut the other week. Tashan Oakley-Booth has been on the bench a few times.

Of course, there's also Mr Kane.

Ah, Skipp. I forget about him and they were talking about him on 5live the other day. Great shout and I see he is only just 18.  So, high prospects for him then? What is the chat about him staying with the 1st team or being shipped out on loan?

I didn't include Kane because he is no longer a youngster. Good example though in the sense that he has become a world class player but didn't really become a PL regular until he was 21.

[Archer]

Surely the first and foremost aim for any academy is to produce players for the first team, and potentially save millions in transfer fees by doing so?

Not sure they are farm systems for spending years in developing players only to sell them on for someone else to get the benefit, whilst of course accepting that the hit rate at the top clubs will be low because the PL squads contain world class players that are difficult to dislodge

This I think will be even more the case post Brexit with possible restrictions on overseas players coming in, and already 11(I think) of match day squads have to be homegrown (developed in this country)

The academy is there to produce footballers. In an ideal world for us, but the nature of the beast is that it's highly unlikely they will make the grade with City, hence our academy primarily being there to make £££. If we unearth a gem along the way then happy days, but that would be a bonus rather than an expectation.

There isn't really one youngster we've sold in recent years that looks a bad decision. Sancho might come back to bite us on the arse, but there was a lot more going on behind the scenes with that. There is another young lad who moved to Spain, name escapes me, who is doing pretty well but again hardly a regret.

I know a lot of fans pine for local lads to rise through the ranks to the first team, and at many clubs that is still a possibility, but at the very top end for clubs like City, expected to challenge on 4 fronts every season, any youngster hoping to get some game time has to be incredibly good and patient.

It's not one size fits all so the academy at Crystal Palace for example serves a slightly different purpose to ours.

I view our academy like its a university; anyone lucky enough to go there will get a great football education, and the end goal will hopefully be a career in the game. Just probably not for City.

Exactly.

Foden is so far ahead of the curve as far as youngsters at the big 6 are concerned and discounting the young players who have moved to the top clubs on full pro contracts at 17+  ( like Gomez and Solanke at Liverpool)

Spurs have a great reputation for bringing youngsters through but i think there are only 2 currently who've come through the ranks and are on the verge of making it.  Winks is nearly 23 and has 53/2000 (apps/mins) and Walker-Peters 21 with 5/290.

LIverpool  have Trent and he's smashed it.

Rashford has smashed it at United and McTominay (22) has got 975 PL mins under his belt. Pereira has been witrh them ages and he'll make it somewhere. Angel thingmebob is the big hope.

Arsenal all I can think of is Maitland Niles  21 with  21/1069 in PL.

Reiss Nelson is having a pretty good season in Germany.

I saw him the other week at the Etihad. Hoffenheim is a great place for him and their football is mad.
If he is back at Arsenal next season he will be nearly 20 and probably not getting many PL minutes?

[Pokerpops]

Surely the first and foremost aim for any academy is to produce players for the first team, and potentially save millions in transfer fees by doing so?

Not sure they are farm systems for spending years in developing players only to sell them on for someone else to get the benefit, whilst of course accepting that the hit rate at the top clubs will be low because the PL squads contain world class players that are difficult to dislodge

This I think will be even more the case post Brexit with possible restrictions on overseas players coming in, and already 11(I think) of match day squads have to be homegrown (developed in this country)

The academy is there to produce footballers. In an ideal world for us, but the nature of the beast is that it's highly unlikely they will make the grade with City, hence our academy primarily being there to make £££. If we unearth a gem along the way then happy days, but that would be a bonus rather than an expectation.

There isn't really one youngster we've sold in recent years that looks a bad decision. Sancho might come back to bite us on the arse, but there was a lot more going on behind the scenes with that. There is another young lad who moved to Spain, name escapes me, who is doing pretty well but again hardly a regret.

I know a lot of fans pine for local lads to rise through the ranks to the first team, and at many clubs that is still a possibility, but at the very top end for clubs like City, expected to challenge on 4 fronts every season, any youngster hoping to get some game time has to be incredibly good and patient.

It's not one size fits all so the academy at Crystal Palace for example serves a slightly different purpose to ours.

I view our academy like its a university; anyone lucky enough to go there will get a great football education, and the end goal will hopefully be a career in the game. Just probably not for City.

Exactly.

Foden is so far ahead of the curve as far as youngsters at the big 6 are concerned and discounting the young players who have moved to the top clubs on full pro contracts at 17+  ( like Gomez and Solanke at Liverpool)

Spurs have a great reputation for bringing youngsters through but i think there are only 2 currently who've come through the ranks and are on the verge of making it.  Winks is nearly 23 and has 53/2000 (apps/mins) and Walker-Peters 21 with 5/290.

LIverpool  have Trent and he's smashed it.

Rashford has smashed it at United and McTominay (22) has got 975 PL mins under his belt. Pereira has been witrh them ages and he'll make it somewhere. Angel thingmebob is the big hope.

Arsenal all I can think of is Maitland Niles  21 with  21/1069 in PL.

Reiss Nelson is having a pretty good season in Germany.

Lingard’s not doing so badly either.

[Archer]

Surely the first and foremost aim for any academy is to produce players for the first team, and potentially save millions in transfer fees by doing so?

Not sure they are farm systems for spending years in developing players only to sell them on for someone else to get the benefit, whilst of course accepting that the hit rate at the top clubs will be low because the PL squads contain world class players that are difficult to dislodge

This I think will be even more the case post Brexit with possible restrictions on overseas players coming in, and already 11(I think) of match day squads have to be homegrown (developed in this country)

The academy is there to produce footballers. In an ideal world for us, but the nature of the beast is that it's highly unlikely they will make the grade with City, hence our academy primarily being there to make £££. If we unearth a gem along the way then happy days, but that would be a bonus rather than an expectation.

There isn't really one youngster we've sold in recent years that looks a bad decision. Sancho might come back to bite us on the arse, but there was a lot more going on behind the scenes with that. There is another young lad who moved to Spain, name escapes me, who is doing pretty well but again hardly a regret.

I know a lot of fans pine for local lads to rise through the ranks to the first team, and at many clubs that is still a possibility, but at the very top end for clubs like City, expected to challenge on 4 fronts every season, any youngster hoping to get some game time has to be incredibly good and patient.

It's not one size fits all so the academy at Crystal Palace for example serves a slightly different purpose to ours.

I view our academy like its a university; anyone lucky enough to go there will get a great football education, and the end goal will hopefully be a career in the game. Just probably not for City.

Exactly.

Foden is so far ahead of the curve as far as youngsters at the big 6 are concerned and discounting the young players who have moved to the top clubs on full pro contracts at 17+  ( like Gomez and Solanke at Liverpool)

Spurs have a great reputation for bringing youngsters through but i think there are only 2 currently who've come through the ranks and are on the verge of making it.  Winks is nearly 23 and has 53/2000 (apps/mins) and Walker-Peters 21 with 5/290.

LIverpool  have Trent and he's smashed it.

Rashford has smashed it at United and McTominay (22) has got 975 PL mins under his belt. Pereira has been witrh them ages and he'll make it somewhere. Angel thingmebob is the big hope.

Arsenal all I can think of is Maitland Niles  21 with  21/1069 in PL.

Reiss Nelson is having a pretty good season in Germany.

Lingard’s not doing so badly either.

Yes but he wasn't a youngster and didn't break into the 1st team until he was about 23. So, presumably much of his adult development 18-23 was away from United

[Karabiner]

Surely the first and foremost aim for any academy is to produce players for the first team, and potentially save millions in transfer fees by doing so?

Not sure they are farm systems for spending years in developing players only to sell them on for someone else to get the benefit, whilst of course accepting that the hit rate at the top clubs will be low because the PL squads contain world class players that are difficult to dislodge

This I think will be even more the case post Brexit with possible restrictions on overseas players coming in, and already 11(I think) of match day squads have to be homegrown (developed in this country)

The academy is there to produce footballers. In an ideal world for us, but the nature of the beast is that it's highly unlikely they will make the grade with City, hence our academy primarily being there to make £££. If we unearth a gem along the way then happy days, but that would be a bonus rather than an expectation.

There isn't really one youngster we've sold in recent years that looks a bad decision. Sancho might come back to bite us on the arse, but there was a lot more going on behind the scenes with that. There is another young lad who moved to Spain, name escapes me, who is doing pretty well but again hardly a regret.

I know a lot of fans pine for local lads to rise through the ranks to the first team, and at many clubs that is still a possibility, but at the very top end for clubs like City, expected to challenge on 4 fronts every season, any youngster hoping to get some game time has to be incredibly good and patient.

It's not one size fits all so the academy at Crystal Palace for example serves a slightly different purpose to ours.

I view our academy like its a university; anyone lucky enough to go there will get a great football education, and the end goal will hopefully be a career in the game. Just probably not for City.

Exactly.

Foden is so far ahead of the curve as far as youngsters at the big 6 are concerned and discounting the young players who have moved to the top clubs on full pro contracts at 17+  ( like Gomez and Solanke at Liverpool)

Spurs have a great reputation for bringing youngsters through but i think there are only 2 currently who've come through the ranks and are on the verge of making it.  Winks is nearly 23 and has 53/2000 (apps/mins) and Walker-Peters 21 with 5/290.

LIverpool  have Trent and he's smashed it.

Rashford has smashed it at United and McTominay (22) has got 975 PL mins under his belt. Pereira has been witrh them ages and he'll make it somewhere. Angel thingmebob is the big hope.

Arsenal all I can think of is Maitland Niles  21 with  21/1069 in PL.

Reiss Nelson is having a pretty good season in Germany.

I saw him the other week at the Etihad. Hoffenheim is a great place for him and their football is mad.
If he is back at Arsenal next season he will be nearly 20 and probably not getting many PL minutes?

He signed new 5-year contract before going to Germany for just the one season afaik.

I think he'll be a starter more often than not next year after the likely clearout this summer - he's a very big talent.