Arsenal's 11 FM 2012 wonderkids - and how they have fared 10 years on

Arsenal are renowned for producing talent through their academy system.

Look no further than Mikel Arteta's current crop with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe starring at such a young age. The English duo have climbed through the ranks to become two of the most promising players at the club.

And then there are the likes of Charlie Patino, who is set to follow in their footsteps and become a regular in the starting XI in the coming years. The north Londoners have a proud history of nurturing youngsters in the Hale End set-up with significant investment in their academy over the years.

Granted, not every player will be like a Saka, but there is a feeling that it has come on leaps and bounds in recent years. This is highlighted by the number of players that came through the system a decade ago with zero of those individuals in the current first team.

As per Football Manager Scout, Arsenal had 11 players that featured on FM's 100 wonderkids 10 years ago. There are a few success stories, but unfortunately, there are more misses than hits.

Emiliano Martinez

Martinez has arguably taken the strangest path to become a Premier League keeper. The Argentine was a back-up for Arsenal for several years and didn't look like he was going to take that next step until he got a chance when Bernd Leno was injured towards the end of the 2019/20 season.

The 29-year-old was exceptional as he put in a string of excellent performances helping Arsenal secure an FA Cup victory against Chelsea. The goalie was infamously reduced to tears as he FaceTime'd his family back home in Argentina on the Wembley turf.

Arsenal decided to cash in on Martinez that summer with Aston Villa signing him for £20million - a decision that was criticised at the time. The keeper has continued his form for Villa, as well as being an integral part of Argentina's Copa America win last summer as Lionel Messi called his teammate one of the best in the world at his position.

Kyle Bartley

Bartley didn't make any first-team appearances for Arsenal and had multiple loan spells at Sheffield United and Rangers before moving to Swansea.

The defender struggled to make a mark in Wales and was again farmed out on loan to Birmingham Cty and Leeds United. He showed signs of life at Elland Road which alerted West Brom who signed him permanently in 2018.

Bartley has found a home at the Midlands club playing 135 times for the English side since his arrival.

Francis Coquelin

The French midfielder made over 100 appearances for Arsenal but there was a feeling he didn't reach his full potential. The 31-year-old was one of the brightest prospects of this generation of youngsters but was inconsistent for the most part.

Coquelin eventually parted ways with Arsenal in 2018 as he joined Valencia for two years for £10m.

The playmaker then joined Villarreal in 2020 and has been an important part of Unai Emery's side that won the Europa League and made it to the Champions League semi-final this season.

Emmanuel Frimpong

Frimpong was brilliant at youth level for Arsenal but that didn't translate to the first team. He made six appearances before a series of loan spells in England, before eventually moving to Barnsley in 2018.

He then bounced around the Russian league and moved to Sweden before retiring in Cyprus with Ermis Aradippou.

Frimpong was hampered with injuries throughout his career and didn't crack 30 appearances for any of the teams he played for as he hung up his boots at the age of 27.

Chuks Aneke

Aneke didn't quite make the grade at Arsenal as he didn't make a competitive appearance but has carved out a career in the English leagues.

The striker was sold to Belgian side Zulte Waregem before having his best spell in front of goal at MK Dons. He moved to Charlton from there, then Birmingham City, before arriving back at The Valley in January where has rediscovered some form.

Aaron Ramsey

Ramsey is one of the biggest success stories from Hale End after a hugely successful time at the Emirates. The goal-scoring midfielder played 262 times for Arsenal, adding 40 goals, before leaving to join Juventus as a free agent in 2019.

Ramsey was at the top of his game at that point, but it's not gone well for him since departing north London. The Welsh international has failed to nail down a starting spot in Turin due to injury troubles, before sealing a loan move to Rangers in January.

He has struggled to stay healthy and his future is well and truly up in the air this summer.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

'The Ox' is another big talent that's climbed through Arsenal's ranks but another that has moved onto pastures new.

The Englishman was inconsistent and like Ramsey, also injury prone, throughout his time at the Emirates but was still a valuable member of the squad, which he has proven since joining Liverpool.

Many believed it was a mistake for Arsenal to sell Oxlade-Chamberlain to their rivals but it might have been a deal that actually worked out for both parties. Klopp tweaked his position as he moved from attack to central midfield, a decision that he and Liverpool have reaped the rewards for during an extremely successful period for the Reds.

Jack Wilshere

Wilshere is hands down the best player to graduate to Arsenal's first team in recent memory, but his time at the club still leaves a bitter taste in fans' mouths.

If it wasn't for injuries, the sky was the limit for Wilshere but he sadly was on the treatment table for too much time. In saying that, he was instrumental for Arsene Wenger's side at times and was a big reason for their success on the pitch.

Wilshere made the difficult decision to move to West Ham in search of regular playing time, which he says he now regrets, but that didn't materialise at the Hammers, nor at Bournemouth after that.

He has now moved to Danish side Aarhus in an attempt to get his career back on track.

Samuel Galindo

Arsenal signed Galindo as an 18-year-old from Bolivian club Real America in 2010 but he didn't play once for Arsenal. He had seven loan spells in five years before returning to Bolivia on a permanent basis with Petrolero.

He has moved about the South American country with Sport Boys, The Strongest, San Jose on loan, and now Always Ready where the journeyman has finally found a place to call home.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas aka 'JET' was another flop at Arsenal as he made just one appearance for the senior side. He has bounced around multiple teams in the English lowe leagues, his best spell coming at Bristol City between 2013 and 2015.

He secured a move to Queen Park Rangers but failed to replicate the same form before eventually ending up in Scotland. He enjoyed a successful debut season in the Scottish Premiership with Livingston last season, which helped engineer a move to Aberdeen.

It didn't quite work out however as the Pittodrie club terminated his contract in April and the player is now a free agent.

How many of these players can be considered a success at Arsenal? Let us know in the comment section below

Wellington Silva

Wellington Silva's move to Arsenal was a disaster from start to finish. The Gunners signed him from Fluminense in 2009, but it was delayed until 2011 due to his age.

When he finally did arrive at the Emirates, he was sent out on various loans as the winger couldn't get a work permit until the start of the 2015/16 season.

Wellington still didn't make an appearance for the first team after that, before returning to Fluminese on a four-year deal. He was loaned to Internacional before moving to Japan in 2021 with Gamba Osaka.