Mikel Arteta promotes two Arsenal wonderkids to train with the first team

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Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock have all progressed through Arsenal's academy in recent months and Per Mertesacker predicts more will follow suit.

Mikel Arteta has promoted Matt Smith and Trae Coyle to train with the Arsenal first team ahead of the Premier League resuming on June 19.

Arteta has pledged to utilise the club's academy, with Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock all featuring for the Gunners this season.

And it seems their success is now paramount to Arsenal's progression, amid claims David Luiz, Rob Holding, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette could all leave in the summer transfer window.

Smith, 19, has previously trained with the Arsenal first team and was present during Arteta's inaugural session after he took over from Unai Emery.

Matt Smith trains with the Arsenal first team

The midfielder, and his team-mate Coyle, will be hoping to break into the first team set-up at Arsenal in the coming months.

Former Arsenal centre-back Per Mertesacker is head of the Gunners academy, and recently praised the level of talent coming through the ranks.

"We are really keen on giving Mikel Arteta a lot of headaches, you know," Mertesacker told Ian Wright on his YouTube channel for Adidas Home Team.

Trae Coyle will be hoping to get his chance to impress

"He must be thinking, 'What's going on in the academy?' Every year there is the potential two, three players who can step onto that court.

"But I know his standards, I know what he stands for, so I need to prepare the players really well so when they step into the first-team environment they are ready and prepared."

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