Arsenal’s academy continues to produce players who believe there is a route into Mikel Arteta’s senior squad, and next season could present another opening for several of them.

Arteta has already shown that he is prepared to trust young talent, with Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri standing as recent examples of graduates who have been given a platform to develop at first-team level.

Max Dowman may already have completed his first breakthrough year. He made 13 first-team appearances in 2025/26, broke records and became a regular talking point, although his minutes were handled carefully because of his age. At 16, he was eased into the side rather than overexposed, but 2026/27 could be the season when he moves from useful substitute to genuine star.

Arsenal’s commitments across four competitions should create room for him. The domestic cups look likely to offer him starts, while he has already shown that he can contribute in the Premier League and the Champions League. Dowman’s ability to operate on the right wing or as an attacking midfielder is another advantage, especially with competition for places expected to remain high.

Marli Salmon also took early steps in senior football last season, making four appearances across the Champions League and FA Cup. The 16-year-old centre back did not attract the same level of attention as Dowman, but his rise into the senior group remains notable. Arsenal, though, are well stocked in central defence, with Gabriel, Piero Hincapié, Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera all options, while Ben White and Jurriën Timber can also play there. That makes regular opportunities difficult to secure.

Andre Harriman-Annous offers a different profile. The 18-year-old has impressed as both a centre forward and wide player in the academy, and his record of 10 goals and two assists for the Under-21s underlines his productivity. He has pace, direct running and a finishing touch, though he may still need added muscle before stepping up fully. Arteta used him twice last season in the FA Cup and Champions League.

Louie Copley, meanwhile, is yet to debut for Arsenal but already has senior experience after nine appearances on loan with Crawley Town in League Two, where he started eight games and set up one goal. Evan Mooney has only recently arrived, having joined from St Mirren after 23 appearances and a Scottish League Cup win in Scotland, and he has settled quickly south of the border.

Chelsea have begun their preseason tour in Australia without three summer arrivals, with Emmanuel Emegha, Geovany Quenda and Morgan Rogers all missing from the travelling group.

Emegha and Quenda were both ruled out after minor injuries. Quenda’s absence should be brief, with Simon Johnson reporting that the winger is expected to join up with the squad for the second stage of the tour in Asia. Emegha, by contrast, is expected to spend about three weeks out and will not be back until after the squad returns.

Quenda’s £40 million ($53 million) move from Sporting CP had already been arranged in March 2025. His deal was agreed alongside Dário Essugo, who completed his move last summer.

Chelsea’s squad for the trip includes their goalkeepers Filip Jörgensen, Robert Sánchez, Ted Curd and Teddy Sharman-Lowe. The defensive group features Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Aarón Anselmino, Levi Colwill, Calvin Diakite, Landon Emenalo, Wesley Fofana, Jorrel Hato, Marco Palestra, Mamadou Sarr and Tayo Subuloye. In midfield are Dário Essugo, Roméo Lavia, Madhi Nicoll-Jazuli, Reggie Walsh and Reggie Watson, while the forwards listed are Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, Omari Kellyman, Cole Palmer, João Pedro, Dastan Satpeyev and Estêvão.

Rogers is absent for a different reason. The club-record signing is being given time off after his Three Lions World Cup involvement this summer, with FIFA rules requiring players to have at least three weeks’ rest. With England involved until the third-place playoff on July 18, he is not expected at Chelsea’s training ground until early August.

That timeline makes the Aug. 8 friendly against AC Milan likely too soon for him. A first unofficial outing may instead come a week later against Real Sociedad.

Even with several names missing, Chelsea fans will still see some new arrivals in action. Marco Palestra is in the squad, as is Dastan Satpeyev, who does not turn 18 until Aug. 12. The change of manager has given the group a clean slate, and several younger players will hope this becomes their opening to the 2026-27 campaign.

Real Madrid are prepared to set a club-record asking price for Vinícius Jr as they try to protect one of their most valuable assets from Premier League champions Arsenal.

The winger remains in contract limbo, with no club-to-club negotiations yet reported. Even so, it has been suggested that Arsenal have already made contact with Vinícius’s representatives as an initial move. Madrid, meanwhile, are understood to be facing a simple choice: renew or sell.

Should they decide to move him on, SPORT report that the Spanish club will not consider any offer below $182 million (€160 million). That figure would eclipse the current record sale, the €117 million move of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus in 2018.

Vinícius has consistently said he wants to remain at the Bernabéu, while president Florentino Pérez has stated that he wants the forward at the club for “the rest of his life”. Yet agreement has still proved difficult.

AS reports that Madrid expect contract talks to restart next week, once the player returns from his post-World Cup vacation. Before that meeting, Vinícius is said to want a conversation with new manager José Mourinho to understand the new project and where he fits into it.

Madrid have gone two seasons without a trophy, and Mourinho’s arrival has been presented as part of a wider shift after frustration on and off the pitch. AS also states that renewal talks were already “well advanced” before stalling after last summer’s Club World Cup, with the gap between the two sides now described as “minimal”.

The same report says Vinícius is seeking around €20 million ($23 million) net per season, down from earlier claims of a €30 million ($34 million) demand. His current deal, last renewed in 2022, is worth around €15 million ($17 million) net annually plus bonuses, including one tied to winning The Best FIFA Men’s Player award, which he did in 2024.

Madrid’s €100 million pursuit of RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande is said to be separate. If Arsenal were to pursue Vinícius seriously, they would need to make him their highest-paid player by a clear margin, on top of paying a major transfer fee.