Mikel Arteta could now start 18-year-old deemed ‘the full package’ for Arsenal at PSV

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Arsenal wrap up their Champions League group stage programme on Tuesday evening as they take on PSV in Eindhoven.

The Gunners and their opponents on the night have both progressed to the knockout stages of the competition.

In addition, Arsenal have already made sure of first place, so there’s only pride left to play for between the Gunners and PSV on the night.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could well look to make wholesale changes, and hopefully we’ll see a debut for one of the Gunners’ best academy talents in recent years.

Reuell Walters has been in and around the Arsenal first team of late, and has made multiple matchday squads over the past 12 months.

Now, in a game with little at stake, Arteta has the perfect opportunity to hand the 18-year-old his first competitive start for the Gunners.

In training ahead of the game, Walters impressed a number of Arsenal coaches with his quick thinking during a rondo drill. This certainly bodes well for him ahead of the game.

Football Transfers claimed a few months ago that ‘multiple conversations have been held’ over giving Walters the chance to impress in the first team.

Some insiders at Arsenal apparently rate the 18-year-old so highly, they believe he can ‘become as good as William Saliba.’

A former coach also described Walters as being “the full package,” as quoted by The Athletic.

Walters mainly operated at centre-back and right-back throughout his time in the academy, so it will be interesting to see if he gets an opportunity at PSV.

Arsenal squad ‘a bit thin’

Arteta will likely make a number of other changes too, particularly since Arsenal have a number of players out for the game.

“We have five or six big injuries so we are already a bit thin,” Arteta said on Monday, as per the Evening Standard.

“I don’t know in another context what I would have done, but I also want everyone together with the mentality to win. I want to see that in their tummies tomorrow.

“The job technically is done, but the job is not completely done.

“It is our duty as representatives of Arsenal to win every game and to give a big performance against a team that is going to make things very difficult as they have shown the past two years.”