Arsenal have seen the likes of Joe Willock, Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah emerge as first-team players, as well as Ainsley Maitland-Niles as Mikel Arteta puts his faith in the club’s youth.
Fans will be hoping to see them all grow and develop over the coming years, rather than feel like they need to leave the club in search of playing time elsewhere.
Serge Gnabry and Donyell Malen are two fairly high-profile cases, with both players now impressing on the continent having failed to make the grade at Arsenal.
He may not be at their level, but Brentford midfielder Josh Dasilva is now becoming a star in the Championship having left Arsenal for absolutely nothing just over two years ago.
Dasilva joined Arsenal at the age of just eight, but he turned down a new deal with the club in 2018 and left as a free agent, having made just three first-team appearances for the Gunners.
Brentford took a chance on Dasilva, handing him a four-year deal – and what a decision that now appears to be, with the 21-year-old now emerging as one of the Championship’s top players.
Dasilva – who is now an England Under-21 international with one goal in two caps – is showing great progress at Brentford, with his statistics looking very impressive.
Dasilva is completing 2.3 successful dribbles per game, 2.3 key passes per game and 2.3 shots per game, showing just how adept he is at carrying the ball and then making decisions in the final third that lead to chances.
He bagged 10 league goals from midfield last season, and continues to be a driving force through the midfield, combining power and pace with skill and smart positioning wandering into half spaces to get on the turn and drive forward; an ideal box-to-box prospect.
Dasilva only recently signed a new deal at Brentford, but he will surely end up in the Premier League soon, regardless of Brentford’s promotion fate this term.
Bees boss Thomas Frank told Sports Gazette back in December 2019 that Dasilva is ‘very rare’ because of his ability to create and score from midfield, meaning he is on course to make Arsenal regret letting him go.
Arteta would no doubt love to have a player like Dasilva to mould and develop, and maybe the Gunners should keep Dasilva on their radar for a possible return in the future, especially if he keeps turning in outstanding displays in the Championship.
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