Arsenal are considering recalling Miguel Azeez from his loan spell at Portsmouth due to a lack of game time, football.london understands.
The 18-year-old is one of the most highly-rated talents to have come through Arsenal's Hale End academy and impressed in pre-season with a long-range strike against Watford.
It was initially expected that after working on his physicality and off-the-ball skills that he might stay in north London to try and break into the first team.
Azeez played 59 minutes in Portsmouth’s 2-1 loss to Cambridge United in September but hasn’t featured since.
With the lack of Europa League opportunities this season and the amount of midfield options in Kevin Betsy's under-23 side, it has since been decided that it would be best for Azeez to go out on loan to League One.
The youngster is spending the campaign on loan with Pompey, where he is managed by Danny Cowley who coached Emile Smith Rowe during his loan spell at Huddersfield in 2020.
Mikel Arteta is a fan of Azeez after giving him his senior debut in the Europa League victory over Dundalk last season and including him in the Premier League squad for the victory over Sheffield United.
In an exclusive interview with football.london, Per Mertesacker explained how the gap between the academy and first team requires many players to go out on loan to develop elsewhere.
"There will be bumps on the road for other players who will be exposed to under-18 level in their first season, in their second, to under-23s, to dominating, to getting game time there, to then getting another stimulus on loan," said Mertesacker.
"Because the gap is too big to get straight into the first team and hit all those markers in terms of physicality, in terms of their mindset, and as well in terms of what they’re actually delivering out there in terms of their technical ability being on the pitch."
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Meanwhile, Jordi Osei-Tutu is currently back at London Colney where he's recovering from a hamstring injury.
The defender is spending the season on loan at Nottingham Forest but has only played one game for the Championship side.
Osei-Tutu, a wing-back who prefers to play on the right-hand side, previously spent time on loan at German side Bochum.
