Arsenal have invested considerable money in defenders under Mikel Arteta but Brooke Norton-Cuffy will now be leaving the club.
The Gunners have become one of the most impressive defensive sides in the game under Mikel Arteta.
That isn’t to say that Arsenal are parking the bus, but more that they play with a great structure and have invested in top defenders.
The likes of Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timber, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko and now Riccardo Calafiori have all been signed under Arteta.
Arsenal conceded just 29 goals in the Premier League last season and Arteta can boast some of the finest defensive options in the Premier League.
This investment means some players need to move on and we are seeing younger talents depart this summer.
Brooke Norton-Cuffy departing Arsenal
Reuell Walters decided to walk away from Arsenal this summer and has signed for Luton Town as first-team opportunities looked unlikely.
It’s now a similar story for Brooke Norton-Cuffy.
The right back joined Arsenal from Chelsea in 2016, aged just 12.
Norton-Cuffy has failed to make a single first-team appearance for the Gunners has impressed on loan.
Lincoln City boss Michael Appleton worked with Norton-Cuffy and backed him to ‘definitely’ become a first-team player at Arsenal.
Spells with Rotherham United and Coventry City followed before Norton-Cuffy joined Millwall for last season.
Lions ace Ryan Leonard hailed Norton-Cuffy as ‘excellent’ when speaking to Southwark News before the right back’s return to Arsenal.
Norton-Cuffy doesn’t seem to be near first-team action at Arsenal though and is now on the move.
Reports suggested that Genoa would be signing Norton-Cuffy and the Serie A side have confirmed his arrival on a permanent basis.
The 20-year-old has taken to social media to share an emotional goodbye message as his time at Arsenal comes to an end.
Norton-Cuffy noted that it’s ‘time to say goodbye’ to Arsenal but thanked all teammates, coaches and fans he crossed paths with in North London.
Norton-Cuffy is now looking forward to a ‘new chapter’ in Italy as he looks to establish himself in Serie A.
Genoa give up on Djed Spence
Norton-Cuffy heads to Italy in order to place another English right back who had traded North London for Genoa.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Djed Spence spent the second half of last season on loan at Genoa before heading back to Spurs this summer.
Genoa did want a permanent deal but couldn’t strike a deal for Spence despite having an £8.5million option to buy.
Genoa’s hopes of keeping Spence appeared to fade in July and they have now given up having pounced for Norton-Cuffy instead.
Spence now looks set to stay at Tottenham and fight for a first-team place under Ange Postecoglou having shown promising signs in pre-season.
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