Arsenal youngster Marcelo Flores not so happy to be left out of the club preseason tour squad for a trio of games in the United States, according to reports.
The Gunners flew to Baltimore on Thursday to continue their preparations for the upcoming Premier League campaign, with games against EvertonOrlando City and Chelsea all on the agenda.
But the squad that brought Mikel Arteta to the US raised some eyebrows, with some notable omissions despite the presence of rowdy midfielder Lucas Torreira and five goalkeepers.
Aaron Ramsdale, Matt Turner, Arthur Okonkwo, Alex Runarsson and Bernd Leno – who are expected to leave the club this summer – all made the switch, while a number of young players were left out.
Much-hyped academy star Charlie Patino, who was often involved with the first team last season, was surprisingly not selected, as was the case for Flores and fellow prodigy Omari Hutchinson.
utilities The opinion claim Flores’ exclusion from the pre-season tour didn’t end well, mainly because he thought he would be part of the squad.
The 18-year-old was invited to be part of the Mexican squad for their Under-20 World Cup qualifiers, but Arsenal blocked his entry, citing his involvement in the trip to the US as the reason.
Flores, who has delivered a string of electric performances for both club and country at youth level, would have been expected to play in the Concacaf Under-20 quarter-final against Guatemala – a match Mexico lost shockingly on penalties.
The final of the competition – in which the US beat the Dominican Republic – was played on July 4, meaning Flores would still be on vacation when the club left for the US.
But instead, he did not represent his country in the Under-20 tournament, nor was he selected for the pre-season tour, which caused some confusion.
Flores, like Patino, has remained in the UK and Arteta’s decision has raised some questions about Arsenal’s development trajectory.
The Mexican has only been called up once to the first-team squad, where he was an unused substitute in a defeat to Crystal Palace in April, while Patino only appeared once in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, despite Arsenal suffering a number of injuries. in the midfield.
Arsenal seems to be too about to lose Hutchinson — another player dropped from the tour squad — with London rivals Chelsea poised to poach the highly regarded teenager.
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