Mikel Arteta believes it is “impossible” for Arsenal’s academy to produce as many top players as Barcelona’s famous La Masia setup owing to regulations imposed on English clubs.
Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have broken into Arsenal’s first team this season after coming through the academy and should feature against Brighton on Saturday. Arteta started his career at Barcelona and shared a dormitory with Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta and Victor Valdés at La Masia. But he suggested he had been frustrated in attempts to recreate the same environment at Arsenal because of certain rules, including restrictions on signing young players from overseas until they are 18.
