Arsenal's first team squad looks thinner than ever after a January transfer window which saw zero additions to the current senior set-up.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu wanted to bring in a striker and central midfielder but couldn't land their top targets as the window closed on Monday night.
It could well mean that several youngsters could be set for their chance in the first team, depending on injuries and player availability in the upcoming Premier League games for the Gunners, who still have a chance of making the top four this season.
football.london takes a look at the youngsters who are closest to the senior squad right now.
Salah-Edinne
Salah-Eddine has already trained regularly with the first team and is considered one of the hottest prospects at the club right now.
The 18-year-old netted direct from a corner against Chelsea in October 2021, his first goal for the club since joining on a free transfer last summer
A creative player with an eye for goal, Salah-Eddine has already revealed what Arsenal fans can expect from him.
"I’m a central midfielder and I like to play box to box. Offensively I’m a creative player and I can play with my left or right foot. I score goals and get assist, and defensively I like to think I do my bit too, especially in the transition," he said upon arriving last summer.
"First I want to become an important player in the under-23s and then eventually get involved with the first team in some capacity. I want to see what that’s like, but above all else, I want to have a really good season with the under-23s
"Maybe if I do that then I’ll be able to join the first team here and there in training. Those are my targets."
Charlie Patino
The 18-year-old midfielder was handed his first senior start in the FA Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest after previously scoring on his debut against Sunderland in the Carabao Cup.
Patino is highly rated by Arteta and his coaching staff and remains on the fringes of the first team.
He'll be even closer now with only Granit Xhaka, Sambi Lokonga and Mohamed Elneny the club's current central midfield options.
Mika Biereth
Biereth has impressed academy chief Per Mertesacker with his strong mentality and ambition to break into the first team.
The Danish youngster is a clinical finisher and recently revealed that he was turned down by Chelsea when he was younger for being 'too small'.
“I’ve almost always been a striker, apart from a short spell on trial at Chelsea when I was still quite young," Biereth recently told the official Arsenal programme.
"They looked at my athleticism and moved me to right back. I ended up leaving because I didn’t really enjoy playing there.”
Omar Rekik
football.london understands that Rekik's proposed loan move to Stoke City collapsed on transfer deadline day.
The Tunisia international has plenty of interest for next summer and it's expected that he'll go out on loan then.
However, Rekik's versatility and ball-playing ability may tempt Arteta to include him in a future matchday squad.
Rekik has just returned from the Africa Cup of Nations where he once again impressed for the senior Tunisia team.
