There’s certainly no shortage of former Arsenal youngsters who have gone on to achieve some pretty big things since leaving English football.
Serge Gnabry is a Germany international and a multiple Bundesliga champion at Bayern Munich. Donyell Malen is one of the first names on the Borussia Dortmund team sheet. Yunus Musah and Ismael Bennacer are team-mates at Serie A giants AC Milan.
But will we one day be including the name of Catalin Cirjan amongst the aforementioned quartet? The 21-year-old is still an Arsenal player, technically speaking, but his future remains uncertain with his contract at the Emirates Stadium expiring in 2025.
Arsenal youngster faces uncertain future
Cirjan is currently on loan at Rapid Bucharest in his homeland.
But according to his agent – the always outspoken Florin Manea – a return to Romania could be more of a hindrance than a help as far as the midfielder’s development is concerned, arguing that Cirjan would have been better served following in the footsteps of, say, Albert Sambi Lokonga, with a short-term spell at a club further down the Premier League pyramid.
Lokonga has excelled on loan at Luton Town under Rob Edwards in recent months.
“I say he made a mistake to returning to Romania,” Manea, who helped strike Radu Dragusin’s £26 million move to Tottenham Hotspur, tells Sport. “(If) you don’t play at Arsenal, you go to Bournemouth, Luton…
“There are a lot of teams, and you have to try to stay in ‘big’ football.
“This is what I was talking about with Radu Dragușin. The level of training (in England) is something incredible. The moment you drop (below) this level and train at the intensity here (in Romania), you lose a lot and it’s hard to get back.
“There’s a big difference between Italy and England (let alone between Romania and England).”
‘It’s hard to get back’
Cirjan has played 16 league games for Rapid Bucharest. But, in a worrying development, he’s failed to get off the bench in any of the last eight fixtures. The youngster, renowned in youth circles for his fine technique in possession, joined Arsenal’s academy in 2019 and is very highly regarded behind the scenes at London Colney (The Athletic).
A number of injury issues, however, have stalled his development in the English capital.