Arsenal youngster suggests he could be Mikel Arteta’s new Declan Rice after signing fresh contract

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Arsenal fans will get a chance to see a number of talented Hale End academy players throughout pre-season.

Mikel Arteta’s side are currently in Spain holding a training camp in La Manga, where the likes of Max Dowman and Ismeal Kabia are involved.

Kabia returned in excellent shape for pre-season, and there’s certainly reason to be excited about a number of Arsenal youth talents.

It’s remarkable to think that 18-year-old pair Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri aren’t even considered in that category these days — they’re now key first teamers despite their age.

And although the Arsenal fan base are already seriously excited about Dowman coming through next, there might be one or two more names to emerge after the Gunners’ pre-season tour of Asia.

Louie Copley wants to mirror Declan Rice at Arsenal after first professional deal

That being said, 18-year-old Louie Copley is one of the youngsters with Arsenal in Spain, a central midfielder with a bright future ahead.

And as a result of his promise, Arsenal recently announced that Copley had signed his first professional deal with the club.

In the accompanying interview, Copley described the moment as the ‘highest of the highs’, and when talking about his Arsenal career further, the youngster admitted that he had been wowed by Declan Rice when seeing him in training.

Copley suggested that he would like to follow in Rice’s footsteps, a player he likes to think he has a similar skill-set to.

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Asked about the Arsenal players he loved watching the most in the past, Copley named Jack Wilshere and Alexis Sanchez.

But it was Rice who he admired in the present, “Now I look up to Declan Rice the most,” 

Copley explained: “Obviously, he’s a box-to-box midfielder as well. When I go and train there, I just watch what he does and try and implement things that he does into my game because obviously he’s at the very top.

“It’s crazy just seeing them train. The intensity they train at. The standards. As an Arsenal fan as well. But you can’t be a fan anymore, you’re a player. You want to compete with them.

“I’m a box-to-box midfielder as well. I’m full of energy on the pitch. I like defending but I also like attacking.

“I just want to kick on now. I want to establish myself in the under-21s. But that’s not my end goal. I want to be playing first-team. So I definitely want to get a first-team appearance this year.”

Louie Copley needs to learn from Charlie Patino’s Arsenal path

Fortunately for Copley, he might have a genuine chance of getting an opportunity in the Arsenal first team, possibly even next season.

Rice is Arsenal’s starting box-to-box midfielder on the left, and he’ll be supported by Mikel Merino next term.

But if Copley regularly impresses for the U21 side, there’s definitely reason to think that he could be included in a Carabao Cup squad.

Perhaps Copley isn’t quite in the Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri and Dowman category at Hale End — very few are.

But there’s definitely a chance for a talented box-to-box midfielder to come through at Arsenal.

And perhaps Copley will need to try and establish why the likes of Charlie Patino weren’t quite able to make the step up from Hale End, a superb midfield talent who has previously come and gone.