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Arsenal are expected to make decisions in the coming days on whether to take up their interest in trialists Kevin Mbabu and Robert Mirosavić. The duo have both impressed Liam Brady in training stints with the club.

Mbabu has now returned to parent club Servette after joining Arsenal for last weeks Ferroli Cup in Italy, where he featured in every game. The 16-year-old was used at right back, and impressed in a new-look back four which included summer signing Leander Siemann.

Manchester United have also taken a look at Mbabu, but their interest waived shortly after. However, it is thought that he has since received an offer from United, but prefers Arsenal’s Academy, despite being a life long fan of the Red Devils.

The other player the club are interested in is Helsingborg forward Robert Mirosavić. He has undertaken two trials in North London, along with fellow countryman Kristoffer Olsson. Olsson has since been signed, but Arsenal are yet to make their move on Mirosavić.

Robert is a left footed winger who can also play up front. He attracted Arsenal’s interest after scoring 49 goals in 45 games for Helsingborg’s youth team, where he also claimed 24 assists. The stocky wide-man, who captains Sweden Under 16’s, has been compared to Andrey Arshavin, and the two had lunch together at London Colney last year.

The two deals will no doubt depend on Arsenal’s youth team budget, having already paid out on Serge Gnabry, Leander Siemann, Kristoffer Olsson and Jon Toral.

Arsenal wrapped up their Premier Academy League season with a 2-0 win over the MK Dons on Saturday. The result meant Steve Bould’s boys finished on a positive note, after a season which has seen them give back the title they’d won for the last two campaigns.

The poor showing at Under 18 level this term has raised questions over the quality of players the club are producing, but whats the real story, and what should fans expect for next season?

Season Review:
The season began in August, with a tricky double header against Manchester City and Sunderland. A crushing 5-2 defeat to City made it the worst possible start, but they recovered well, to beat Sunderland 2-1 in their first home game.

If August was a hard month, September was even harder. A 2-2 draw against Reading meant Arsenal had scored six goals in their opening three games, and all had come from different sources. A 1-0 defeat to Bristol City was then tempered with an impressive 3-1 win over Aston Villa. Philip Roberts continued his good form with a brace, and the bad form appeared to be behind them. They finished the month with a 0-0 draw with Fulham, which was no shame.

October began well, as Emi Martínez saved a penalty in a 3-2 win over Norwich City, while Alban Bunjaku ran the show and scored as the Gunners followed that up with a 3-0 thrashing of Chelsea at Cobham. However, they then shipped three goals in games against Charlton and Southampton, losing their final two fixtures of the month.

Bunjaku and Roberts carried the side to a 3-0 win at home to Portsmouth in November, but further defeats to Ipswich and West Ham meant control of the group was slipping away. December defeats against Crystal Palace and then Charlton meant they had it all to do after the turn of the year.

January began with a draw against Southampton, but despite injuries to front men Roberts and Ansah, Bould’s boys dug in and beat Portsmouth and Ipswich in quick succession. February seemed like the month when Arsenal would really kick on, but despite a simple win over Crystal Palace, they lost to West Ham, Fulham and Norwich to put huge dents in their points tally.

Ansah returned to fitness in March, and he scored twice in a 4-1 thrashing of Chelsea, before further defeats to Leicester City, Watford and then Tottenham meant it was mathematically impossible for them to win their group, so would be forced to hand back their Premier Academy League title for the first time in two years. With nothing to play for, Arsenal finished the season with two April wins over Cardiff and MK Dons.

The Verdict:
The season will no doubt go down as a poor one, but Bould will take comfort from the fact he was forced to do without a striker for much of the campaign. Ultimately, that’s where the title was lost. Arsenal created many chances, notably away from home, but lacked the relevant fire power to finish teams off. That, coupled with the fact many of his squad were playing Academy football for the first time, meant this finish inevitable.

Star Players:
This years stars have been difficult to come by, but the emergence of goalkeeper Emi Martínez has been significant. He won a work permit last summer, and has been in superb form all season. A couple of penalty saves coupled with a handful of genuinely superb stops have put him right up there in Arsène Wenger’s thinking. The other main man has been play-maker Alban Bunjaku, who has risen from relative obscurity to score, assist and dominate many a midfield battle. More of that will be expected next season.

Other mentions go to defender Martin Angha for his brace and committed displays, and the versatile Samir Bihmoutine who has impressed in defence and on the wing. Forwards Roberts and Ansah have also shown very good signs, in the rare occasions they’ve been fit.

Next Season:
The planning for next season has already begun. Arsenal have moved to add height and power to the team, with Jon Toral, a powerful defensive midfielder, joining from Barcelona, while the tall and strong centre back Leander Siemann has arrived from Hertha Berlin. They’ve also added a speedy winger, in the form of German Under 16 international Serge Gnabry, while Swedish play-maker Kristoffer Olsson should also feature at some point. That, plus the addition of new scholars and the exciting Under 16’s such as Austin Lipman, Chuba Akpom and Jack Jebb, mean competition for places will be huge.

The new signings, the newly promoted Under 16’s, plus the experience this years crop will have, mean Arsenal will have one of their most exciting Under 18 teams for a long time next term. The only question that remains, is if Steve Bould will still be their to coach them.

Arsenal have made decisions on the futures of on out-of-contract Reserve team duo Jernade Meade and George Brislen-Hall. Meade has been offered a new deal, while Brislen-Hall has been released.

Liam Brady had been mulling over the two 17-year-olds for a number of weeks, before finally make his choice recently. Brislen-Hall has been a regular for most of the season, but a series of injuries and mixed performances saw him replaced by Meade, who can also play in midfield, before injuries allowed George back in the team.

The Under 18’s are rebuilding for next season after a terrible campaign, and the expectation is that Scottish youngster James Campbell will be the first choice left back next term, with the exciting Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill acting as a deputy.

It’s not yet clear whether Jernade has signed an extension to his scholarship, or professional terms, however, the deal is only a year long. Meade will now hope to maintain his fitness over the summer, and impress in the Reserves next season. Brislen-Hall has already begun the hunt for a new club.

Welcome to another Young Guns web chat, hosted by me, editor Jamie Sanderson. You can put your questions to me over an hour long chat, beginning at 7pm UK time.

House Rules:
You can put your questions to me from 7pm UK time in an hour long chat. I will try to answer them all, as long as they haven’t already been asked, and as long as they’re submitted inside the deadline.

The web chat lasts 60 minutes, but due to the heavy number of questions submitted, all of them must be sent within 30 minutes of the start time. So if the chat starts at 7pm, all questions must be submitted by 7.30pm.

To ask a question, simply fill in the form at the bottom of the window once the chat has begun. The window has an auto-fresh function, so you don’t have to leave the page.

Click here to get involved.

Anderlecht midfielder Charly Musonda has now left London after holding talks with Arsenal. The 14-year-old is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Belgium, and Liam Brady has moved in early.

Musonda and his agent met Arsène Wenger and took in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Manchester United at the Emirates, as Arsenal hope to convince the play maker on a move to England. His father, Charles Musonda, played for Anderlecht over 100 times and now works as a coach of their youth team.

Charly’s older brothers, Lamisha and Tyka, also play for the Brussels-based outfit, they’re not rated as highly. However, many speculate that all three may follow Romelu Lukaku into the first-team, sooner rather than later.

Musonda is an attacking midfielder who can also play wide on the right. He’s blessed with blistering pace, power and superb vision. It’s thought that Arsenal would like to secure a deal now, but would be happy for Charly to remain in Belgium until his 16th birthday, so to avoid Premier Academy League rules.

More news is expected shortly.

Welcome to this weekends loanees watch – Young Guns’ analysis, reports and updates on the progress of the young starlets currently plying their trade away from the Emirates Stadium. You can read all the latest reports below.

Carlos Vela started and played 75 minutes of West Brom’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa. Vela played the whole game on the right of a five man midfield, but did have two good chances to score on the left side of the pitch. The first he chipped over the bar from close range, and the second a free-kick that looped onto the roof of the net.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was not in action this weekend, as Cardiff City play on Monday.

Henri Lansbury was not in action this weekend, as Norwich City play on Monday.

Vito Mannone missed Hull City’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace through injury.

Sanchez Watt came off the bench to play the final minute of Leeds United’s 1-0 win over Burnley. Watt almost scored with his first involvement, after he cut in from the right, but his shot from close range hit the side netting.

Craig Eastmond has now returned to Arsenal from his loan spell at Millwall after breaking his ankle.

Benik Afobe played the full 90 minutes in Huddersfield Town’s 3-2 win over Brighton. Afobe opened the scoring with a brilliant turn and shot inside the box, before putting them ahead again in the second half with another smart finish. Brighton equalised once more, but Afobe layed the ball off for Danny Ward to grab a late winner. Benik claimed the Man of the Match award, his fourth in four games.

Mark Randall was an unused substitute as Rotherham drew 2-2 with Aldershot Town.

Ryo Miyaichi missed Feyenoord 3-2 defeat to VVV-Venlo through illness.

Francis Coquelin started and played 69 minutes of Lorient’s 3-2 win over Lens. Coquelin was replaced by fellow Arsenal-loanee Gilles Sunu, and Sunu would go on to assist Kevin Gameiro’s second goal, rounding the ‘keeper and crossing from a tight angle.

Armand Traoré was not in action this weekend, as Juventus play on Monday.

Wellington Silva missed Levante’s game with Sporting Gijon through illness.

Pedro Botelho started and played 61 minutes of FC Cartagena’s 2-1 win over Albacete. Botelho continued at left back, but was replaced late on after picking up a knock.

Samuel Galindo was an unused substitute as UD Salamanca beat Elche 5-4.

Arsenal kick off their Ferroli Cup campaign against AC Milan this evening, in the opening days show piece game. The tournament, in its 22nd year, is one of the most prestigious in youth football.

The club have been sending a team to compete in Verona since 2006, where a penalty shoot out loss in the final to Atalanta denied the Gunners a dream debut. However, they returned in 2008 and won the cup on spot kicks against Juventus, with trialist goalkeeper Sean McDermott saving and then scoring the winner.

The result saw Arsenal crowned as the first foreign team to win the trophy. It wasn’t the only prize picked up though; Jack Wilshere was named Player of the Tournament, and Luke Freeman claimed the top scorer prize.

After a number of group stage knock outs, Arsenal have sent one of their best squads in recent years, and are favourites to re-take the cup from last years winners Inter Milan. Ahead of the kick off, Young Guns caught up with the Ferroli Cup’s Head Press Officer Alessandro De Pietro.

Alessandro began by explaining the origins of the competition.

“The Ferroli Cup was founded in 1990 and in the first edition was dedicated to the Under 13 category and then moved to the current Under 15. The event was planned by the famous Ferroli Group, a world leader in the heating, air conditioning, whirlpool bath and heated towel rails in collaboration with A.C. Sambonifacese, a club who plays in the fourth level of Italian football. After the first editions, the tournament added more and higher quality teams, with the participation of the best Italian clubs first and then with the presence of many foreign clubs from Europe.”

He then went on to explain the process of selecting and inviting Arsenal, and their history of taking part.

“Arsenal took part in the Ferroli Cup for the first time in 2006, when they reached the final, but lost on penalties against Atalanta. Wojciech Szczęsny was the goalkeeper, on trial. After the tournament, Arsenal decided to sign him. Szczęsny was awarded as the best goalkeeper of the tournament.”

“Arsenal immediately accepted the invitation at the Cup Ferroli, convinced by the quality of participating teams and of the organization. Liam Brady has also visited Verona, and the tournament organiser Ettore Paolini often gets invited to London to watch some Arsenal matches  in the Premier League. Arsenal, among other things, was the first foreign club to win the Ferroli Cup in 2008.”

The likes of Szczęsny and Wilshere are the most recent names to have starred at the Ferroli Cup, but Rafael van der Vaart, Johnny Heitinga, Fabio Quagliarella, Daniele De Rossi, Giampaolo Pazzini and Riccardo Montolivo are just a few of those who used the competition to cut their teeth, but apart from finding new players, what else can Arsenal learn?

“Arsenal took to the Ferroli Cup with a bold new tone and enthusiasm. They understand youth culture and fair play. It was very good for Arsenal to face and adapt to Italian football at youth level that only look at results and not the quality of the game. Liam Brady has always argued that at the Ferroli Cup his boys have found the right opportunity to grow and have a very severe and constructive test rather than facing others teams in English football.”

Kick off against AC Milan is at 8pm UK time, with further games against Aspire Academy and A.C. Sambonifacese to follow. You can keep up to date with the news and scores via our Twitter feed.

Thomas Vermaelen is expected to start tomorrows Premier Reserve League fixture against Manchester United, Young Guns can confirm. The Belgian has been missing since September, when he suffered Achilles tendon damage and needed surgery.

Vermaelen returned to training around a month ago, where was initially working on his own with fitness coach Tony Colbert. However, the 25-year-old has made rapid progress, and rejoined the first-team group a week and a half ago. Arsenal are planning a series of ‘behind closed doors’ friendlies, as the United clash is the final Reserve league game of the campaign.

Thomas is expected to make his first-team come back in the closing stages of the season, should he suffer no set backs.

Arsenal have added Servette youngster Kevin Mbabu to their squad for this weeks Ferroli Cup. The 16-year-old is the latest in a long line of trialists who will have the chance to earn a transfer at the prestigious Italian tournament.

Steve Gatting’s side last won the competition in 2008, when Sean McDermott saved and then scored a penalty in a shoot out against Juventus. The Gunners begin this years round of games on Thursday, against AC Milan, before further games with Aspire Academy and A.C. Sambonifacesce.

Mbabu is a highly rated defensive midfielder, who is equally at home at centre back or right back. He follows in the footsteps of Philippe Senderos, who joined Arsenal from Servette in 2003. Kevin is also a Swiss international, who scored on his debut against Belgium earlier this year.

He is expected to go straight into the lineup for the first game against AC Milan, along with new signings Kristoffer Olsson and Leander Siemann. However, Arsenal aren’t the only club interested. Mbabu enjoyed a trial with Manchester United recently, and they remain keen.

You can follow more build up to the Ferroli Cup tomorrow.