Arsenal’s future? Charlie Patino, Marcelo Flores, Omar Rekik may see first-team action this season

With Arsenal having let five first-team players depart in January either on loan or for free, and bringing nobody in to replace them, Mikel Arteta’s squad depth for the rest of the season looks a little thin.

The Gunners opted to loan out defenders Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Roma) and Pablo Mari (Udinese), while cancelling the contracts of left-back Sead Kolasinac (Marseille), the versatile Calum Chambers (Aston Villa) and, sensationally, former captain and star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Barcelona).

It was a move designed to save the club money ahead of what’s expected to be a busy summer transfer window, but it leaves Arsenal with only three senior centre-backs (Ben White, Gabriel, Rob Holding) and two central strikers whose contracts expire in the summer (Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah).

Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny’s participation in the Africa Cup of Nations in January, injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak also left the side short in midfield, with Arsenal losing three, drawing two and scoring just a single goal in their five games during that month.

With no new arrivals to count on, Arsenal’s youth teams may find themselves the subject of interest if there are more gaps to fill in the coming months. The Gunners are well stocked in wide attacking areas, so we have left out the U23s’ impressive duo of Salah-Eddine Oulad M’hand and Omari Hutchinson, but here are some other players who could get a call-up to the senior squad this season.

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Arsenal signed the centre-forward last summer after he turned down a professional contract at Fulham. A highly productive goal scorer at academy level, Biereth netted 21 goals and provided 21 assists in the 2020-21 Under-18 Premier League for Fulham before moving to the Emirates.

The Denmark U19 international made an early mark at his new club with a hat trick in September’s 6-1 away thrashing of Chelsea in Premier League 2. Since…