Arsenal youngster Brooke Norton-Cuffy has signed a new deal with the club this summer. The right-back had only 12 months remaining on his previous contract, attracting potential interest from other clubs during the transfer window.
However, his extended stay at the club will come as a relief to the Gunners, with the 18-year-old tipped for big things in the near-future. The defender has impressed through the age groups in youth football, having joined the club from rivals Chelsea when he was only 12-years-old.
Norton-Cuffy has also been an instrumental part of the England academy setup, winning the European Championships this summer with the Under-19s squad, making an appearance as a substitute against Israel in the final. He has also had a taste of senior football too, spending the latter half of last season on loan at League One side Lincoln City.
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The youngster made 17 appearances in the league for the Imps, scoring once and assisting once in that time. With a new deal seemingly complete, the next stage of his development will be the priority for the defender while the transfer window remains open.
The report from the Athletic claims that a loan move to the Championship for the season is the aim, with game time at a higher level on the cards. Should he continue to progress, Norton-Cuffy could be an important asset to the team for the long-term, something similar to Reece James at Chelsea.
The England international spent one season on loan at Wigan Athletic - winning multiple individual awards in that time with the Latics. He then went on to break into the Blues' starting lineup on a consistent basis, something that the Arsenal defender could replicate.
He also admitted to basing his play off of the 22-year-old, telling the Beautiful Game Podcast: "I don’t think there’s any one player I’d say: 'I play exactly like him.' I think I take aspects from a lot of players like Reece James. Physically, he kind of reminds me, because he’s a beast.
"Obviously he gets his stats, he gets goals he gets assists. The way he crosses the ball, the way he strikes a ball. As an all-round right back he’s just top.
"Obviously Trent [Alexander-Arnold], when you look at Trent, technically as a right-back he’s just different level. The way he crosses, the way he clips a ball. Then defensively, sometimes I look at players and I think, as a full-back nowadays, I think sometimes the defensive side is a bit neglected."
Arsenal will certainly be hoping a loan move can help him progress further and reproduce the impact of fellow England right-backs in the Premier League. However, the new deal could be the most important piece of business they do before the end of the window as it stands.
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