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Photo by George Wood - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Photo by George Wood - The FA/The FA via Getty Images

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Report: Arsenal are now completely changing their plans for 18-year-old wonderkid ahead of next season

Sam Preston
Sam Preston

Arsenal wonderkid Brooke Norton-Cuffy is enjoying an impressive loan spell with Lincoln City in League 1 this season.

The third tier campaign ends tomorrow and the teenage defender has certainly impressed his loan boss Michael Appleton.

He said: “He’ll go back to Arsenal a better player and I’ve got no doubts — it might not be for a year or two — but he will play in their first team regularly.”

The have offered an update on the state of play for the 18-year-old at the Emirates Stadium and it seems his impressive loan has altered Arsenal’s thinking.

Photo by Andrew Vaughan - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Andrew Vaughan – CameraSport via Getty Images

They say that the Gunners definitely want the teenager to be part of their long term future, meaning that Appleton’s prediction could well come true.

The report also claims that Arsenal are changing their plans for the defender – but what does that mean?

That could signify that they were planning to send him out on loan, but want to keep him around the club next season, especially with European competition to contend with.

Or, he could be loaned to a higher up division than it was previously thought he was ready for. It will be a case of waiting to see.

Photo by Ivan Yordanov/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Ivan Yordanov/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Where does Norton-Cuffy fit in at Arsenal?

Norton-Cuffy has already been compared to Takehiro Tomiyasu, and the Japan international is the man the right-back will probably have to dislodge long-term.

In the shorter term, Arsenal could definitely do with younger, talented players to push their first teamers and getting past Cedric in the pecking order should not be too tough once the Englishman is ready.

It is just whether Mikel Arteta sends him out on loan again for a full season of games, or keeps him around and hands him some cup games and feels he would improve from training with the first team every day.