At a Glance:
- Hale End Academy has produced some fantastic players for Arsenal
- Which names should Arsenal fans get to know?
- Some youngsters should get first-team minutes in the 2026/27 campaign
Arsenal’s Hale End academy has seen some huge talents emerge through the ranks in previous years, and next season could see new names emerge as first-team prospects.
Bukayo Saka is the most well-known academy graduate in recent years, with the 24-year-old now an established England international after breaking onto the scene in 2019.
Meanwhile, midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly has been compared to some footballing legends and, at still only 19, looks to have the world at his feet.
Ethan Nwaneri also broke through into the Arsenal first-team at the same time as Lewis-Skelly, and while his career in recent months has been somewhat complicated by his struggles on loan at Marseille, he is still a teenager and has ample time to get himself back on track.
READ MORE: Predicting Arsenal’s 2026 summer transfer window: Two £75m signings and a surprise exit
It is Max Dowman’s time to shine at Arsenal
At only 16 years of age, you could make an argument that Max Dowman is already a solidified member of the Arsenal first-team squad, which is a truly impressive feat for someone so young.
He played 13 games for Arsenal last season, for a total of 486 minutes with the senior team, and scored his first-ever Premier League goal against Everton, becoming the PL’s youngest scorer in doing so.
For the 2026/27 season, he will start the campaign as Arsenal’s third-choice right-winger behind Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke, but could move up in the pecking order if he continues to improve in terms of ability.
Andre Harriman-Annous might be Arsenal’s newest attacking star
Andre Harriman-Annous made his debut for Arsenal against Brighton in the EFL Cup last season, and looked promising in the 77 minutes that he played.
While his ability has not yet been showcased at the senior level, Harriman-Annous was the top goalscorer for Arsenal U21s in the 2025/26 season with seven goals in 19 games, indicating that he knows how to find the back of the net.
His positional versailty may come in handy for Mikel Arteta next season if he is given a proper opportunity with the first team, with the 18-year-old able to play as a winger and midfielder, too.
Ceadach O’Neill is already a Northern Irish international
One Arsenal youngster is already present on the international stage, and his name is Ceadach O’Neill. Primarily a striker, he can also play on the wing as well as in midfield.
He has made quick work of the under-18 Premier League, scoring 10 goals in 14 games while also having made six appearances in the Premier League 2.
O’Neill has been named in the Northern Ireland squad for June 2026 and has already made his debut versus Guinea, coming on as a substitute.
Other names Arsenal fans should get to know
Jack Porter is perhaps the best goalkeeping prospect within Hale End. Now 17, he made his debut at 16 in Arsenal’s EFL Cup matchup against Bolton Wanderers in September 2024. A pathway to him becoming Arsenal’s third choice goalkeeper soon enough seems clear.
Marcell Washington played 22 games for Arsenal under-21s last season and looked impressive at left-back. Given that Arsenal’s wingbacks have struggled with injuries over the past couple of seasons, Washington could work his way into the fray.
