After Jadon Sancho, it is widely reported that highly rated youngster Ben Cottrell from Arsenal academy rank is heading to Borussia Dortmund. The German giants are hugely boosted by Sancho’s addition to the squad and believe that Cottrell would be their next big hit under the attacking mind set of Lucian Favre. It is known that scouts from overseas were satisfied with Ben’s game in Arsenal reserves and the 17 year old prospect has almost satisfied their demands in those games. Marseille are the other interest makers but Cottrell’s future at the moment works on German soil it seems.
Cottrell is a name that never made the Arsenal senior side despite his stunning shows in reserve fixtures but a chance to prove his worth may be hanging just behind to make a step further in his career. His well-wisher Dortmund are a club known to bring out the best from young prospects. Take the example of Christian Pulisic. The boy from, not so famous football interest country, US turned out to be the next big thing at Signal Iduna Park as now he looks like a lucrative assets for any European club.
Like him Cottrell’s countrymen is also growing. The U17 world cup winner with England, though he left the squad after the group stages, has turned out to be regular starter for the team. He has bagged 4 goals and 6 assists in 11 games for the black and yellows in Bundesliga, helping his side sit firmly on top of the chart with 27 points. Indeed, Sancho’s improvisation has been a blessing. The youngster came up from the ranks of Manchester City side by side playing some junior levels game for Watford and made up big grounds in Germany. But is it something going out of the hands of country’s youth development within the borders?
Along with Sancho, some sparkling stars like Jonathan Panzo (Chelsea) and Reo Griffiths (Spurs)has also left their parent clubs to show their talents elsewhere but the debate is whether these transfer are harming their own integrity in homeland. Because in Spain and Germany almost every club has a cluster of nations boys in squad list rather than foreigners peaking up their number. Although it is almost the same for England, foreign impression is climbing up the ladder day by day. For that it’s been planned in the UK, according to home grown player rules by FA, that there would be an increase in home-grown players in the squad from 8 to 12 in the current 25 men list. This will help England go for major honours with strong home grown talent improvisation matched by recent triumphs in the U-20 and U-17 World Cups. And that may help stars like Cottrell to actually have their say in their homeland rather than anywhere else.
Anyway, Cottrell’s career proceeding is locked in overseas at the moment. Dortmund is setting up transfer works to get this youngster on grasp ad use him in first team plans straightforwardly. Something which he won’t enjoy so quickly here at Arsenal as Unai Emery looks well settled with his choices for the club reacting superbly under him. They find no urgency to land any academy player in serious aspects of play just yet. So, it is well enough for Cottrell to show off his skills in Dortmund before returning to homeland as a proven star.
