From Azeez to Rekik – the Arsenal youngsters closest to the first-team squad

When Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s move to Barcelona is finalised, Arsenal will have just 21 players in their first-team squad, which includes three goalkeepers.

Therefore, it will only take one absentee for each of the remaining 17 games this season for an academy player to be named in the matchday squad.

There are plenty of prospects in contention for first-team involvement, but who is the most likely to be called up?

Miguel Azeez was recalled from his loan spell at Portsmouth, but, somewhat surprisingly, wasn’t loaned out again.

The midfielder isn’t ready to play regularly in the Premier League, but he could be a useful option off the bench or to be involved in training sessions.

Defender Omar Rekik was linked with a loan move to Stoke City, but the switch failed to materialise. Rekik, who has just returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, could effectively be Arsenal’s fourth-choice centre-back.

Some youngsters have been on the fringes of the first-team recently, with midfielders Charlie Patino and Salah-Eddine being called up along with winger Omari Hutchinson and striker Mika Biereth. All four are still waiting to make their Premier League debut.

With regards to defensive options, centre-backs Alex Kirk, Mazeed Ogungbo and Taylor Foran are all training with the first-team, while Zach Awe is another option. Left-back Joel Lopez is also available after he didn’t go on loan and Zak Swanson could provide cover at right-back.

Then there are others like creative talent Marcelo Flores and midfielder Jack Henry-Francis, with more youngsters waiting in the wings, including Kido Taylor-Hart and Zane Monlouis, who are currently injured. Jonathan Dinzeyi is likely to be released in the summer but he could at least train with the first-team.

It seems rather inevitable that at least one of the aforementioned players will get called up to the first-team before the end of the season.

Whether any of them get any playing time is another matter entirely, especially when it is considered that Mikel Arteta didn’t turn to any of the academy players on his bench against Burnley.