The Japan star and former Feyenoord and Bolton loanee is just one of many promising youngsters along with Serge Gnabry to keep the Arsenal fans excited for the future at The Emirates.
After a recent article detailing the prospects of a certain German teenager called Serge Gnabry as the eventual successor to Theo Walcott, whose exit seems imminent, I was instantly drawn to one comment relating to another player who could have a big impact when and if Theo moves on, and even if he does not.
Ryo Miyaichi, the Japanese international currently seeing out a loan deal at Wigan Athletic again has all the attributes to replace the 23-year-old Englishmen.
Not only is he blisteringly quick but his pace is coupled with a more natural ability on the ball than that of the former Southampton player. He seems more dextrous in his preference of striking foot and had a great impact on loan at Bolton Wanderers where he was voted February’s player of the month by the clubs fans, and is arguably more technically gifted than Walcott.
While he has found it slightly more difficult to break into Roberto Martinez’s fold early on, the Spanish manager has openly admitted his desire to see more of Ryo in the not so distant future, so expect him to play much more Premier League football in the coming weeks.
His loan at Feyenoord in 2011 was a massive success – earning the nickname of ‘Ryodinho’ among Dutch fans at the club where Manchester City striker John Guidetti flourished on loan a year later.
His dribbling ability can also not be questioned and while the end product seems to be just slightly out of sync right now Arsenal will hope he gets plenty of time to shine at Wigan Athletic this season and improve his game, in a similar fashion to Jack Wilshere at Bolton in 2009-10.
Yet there is no need to feel exclusive about both Gnabry and Miyaichi as Gnabry is similar to Oxlade-Chamberlain as a player with the ability to play both as a winger and as a central midfielder.
While Walcott may not be the only player on his way out, fellow misfit forward Andrey Arshavin is expected to leave the club this summer when his contract runs down. Therefore there may even be a gap in the market for both of these precocious talents very soon.
Check him out playing for Feyenoord…
image: © wonker
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