Our latest scholars attended a special event at Emirates Stadium to celebrate their achievement and sign their scholarship deals. 

The new Gunners were joined in N5 by their families, as well as Head of Academy Coaching Luke Hobbs and Head of Academy Operations Will Oldham, who have guided them on their journey alongside all of our fantastic academy staff and coaches. 

As our latest group of future stars mark a significant milestone on their development journey, find out more about our scholar class of 2026/27.

Hakeem Abubakar

Defender Hakeem has shown his versatility since joining our academy in 2018, playing both in central defence and at left-back. Despite being a defender, Hakeem has shown plenty of quality on the ball, with a good attacking sense when supporting a winger from the full-back positions. 2025/26 saw the teenager earn his first under-18s appearances, going on to make three substitute appearances and three starts, including a full ninety minutes in an U18s Premier League game against West Ham.

Elyon Mbala

Talented full-back Elyon has been in our academy since he was just eight-years-old, and over the course of his seven years with us, he’s developed into a confident left-back who offers plenty of threat going forward. Having frequently impressed at under-16s level, Elyon made his under-18s debut in January 2026 against Southampton. Despite being just 15-years-old, Elyon held his own at under-18s level, and made nine appearances for Adam Birchall’s side in the U18s Premier League, starting on all nine occasions and playing at least 45 minutes.

Daniel McCarron

Centre-half Daniel joined us in July 2026 having agreed a move from Northern Ireland Premiership side Dungannon Swift in February. Daniel, who was part of the Swifts’ first-team squad in the 2025/26 season, can play on either side of a central defensive partnership. He has spent time in our academy before having trialled in December 2024, playing with our under-17s at the Flamengo adidas Cup, which we won. As well as playing senior football in his home country, Daniel has represented Northern Ireland’s under-17s side on eight occasions.

Emerson Nwaneri

Midfielder Emerson has already produced several impressive highlights in his time at Arsenal despite his young age. Emerson netted a hat-trick against Chelsea under-16s in September 2025 and scored the winning goal in the Premier League U16 National Finals final at St George’s Park in November. His standout performances earned him a spot in our under-18s side in the second half of the season, where Emerson scored twice in 12 appearances. Having impressed for Adam Birchall’s side, Emerson also earned his UEFA Youth League and Premier League 2 debuts at under-19s and under-21s levels respectively.

Jayden Oba

Jayden joined us in 2018 and has risen through the ranks over the last eight years to earn his scholarship deal in July 2026. The young forward is full of energy and is just as prolific at creating chances for his teammates as he is at finishing them off himself. This quality was on full display in the Premier League U16 National Finals in November 2025, when Jayden set up two goals for Emerson Nwaneri in the semi-final win over Blackburn Rovers. Jayden also featured in the final, which we won against Aston Villa to secure the trophy.

Theo Odaji-Ukueku

Long-time Gunner Theo is a dynamic holding midfielder. As well as having the defensive qualities to fill in at right-back, the timing of his runs and incisive passing ability makes him a fantastic talent. Theo’s impressive performances at under-15s level were rewarded as he started against West Brom under-18s in February 2025, showcasing his eye-catching technical ability to help us to a 3-2 win. It’s because of that technical ability that Theo has made a home in the centre of the park, a role he’ll continue to flourish in after signing his scholarship in July 2026.

Angelinou Pedro

Angelinou enjoyed a breakout season in 2025/26, despite being a year off signing his scholarship agreement. The young defender, who plays on the right side of central defence, hadn’t played a competitive game for our academy before November 2025, but by the end of the season, he’d featured in five competitions. Eight of his thirteen appearances came in the U18 Premier League, where he scored a stoppage-time winner against Aston Villa, while Angelinou also made debuts in the Premier League 2, Premier League Cup, UEFA Youth League and FA Youth Cup in an impressive campaign.

Charlie Purdy

Midfielder Charlie has been with us since 2018, when he joined as an eight-year-old. Over his eight years as a Gunner, Charlie has developed into a dangerous, creative midfielder, making things happen in and around the penalty area for himself and his teammates. As well as his open play qualities, Charlie has become a skilled set-piece taker for our under-16s side, both in terms of corner deliveries and direct free-kick threat. His efforts were rewarded with an under-18s debut in February 2026 against Aston Villa, the first of six appearances for Adam Birchall's side.

Joshua Sesay

Versatile attacker Josh joined us from Millwall in 2024, and has immediately made a strong impression as one of the most exciting players in our academy. Josh is comfortable operating on either wing and has even featured in attacking midfield for our under-16s. He was part of the squad that won the Premier League U16 National Tournament in November 2025, scoring in the semi-final win over Blackburn Rovers. After an impressive first half of the 2025/26 season, Josh was rewarded with his under-18s debut against Southampton in January 2026.