THEY might just regret letting this one go.
In 2019 Yunus Musah was allowed to leave Arsenal, after seven years training at their Hale End academy, for pastures new.
There were rumblings inside the club that coaches believed it was a serious mistake to grant the talented midfielder, capped by England at youth level, a move to Valencia.
But Arsenal’s loss is the La Liga giant’s gain – with Musah, now 19, growing in confidence in Spain.
In 2020, the outstanding midfielder made his debut for Los Che in a 4-2 win over Levante UD.
He has now played 77 times for the Spaniards and in November 2020 became the youngest non-Spanish player to score for the club.
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And it’s not just Arsenal who have made a mistake by letting Musah slip through the net.
After turning out for England at youth level, Musah has now been capped 18 times by the USA senior team.
Here’s his story.
BORN IN NY, RAISED IN LONDON
Musah was born in New York, where his mum was on holiday at the time.
The family, of Ghanaian descent, lived in Italy until he was nine where he played for local team Giorgione.
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They then moved to London and he was immediately snapped up by Arsenal, eventually graduating from their Hale End academy.
Musah was highly-rated in North London, having played a significant role in helping the U18 side win the Premier League in 2019 – scoring five goals in 17 appearances.
But in 2019 he felt Valencia offered him a better pathway towards first-team football, and it appears that was the right decision for the exciting youngster.
INTERNATIONAL PEDIGREE
Born in the USA, with Ghanaian parents and having UK and Italian citizenship means Musah could have played for all those countries.
Musah played internationally at U15, U16, U17, and U18 level for the Three Lions.
He was captain a number of times, and was seen as a real leader of his generation.
Then in 2020, after a year in Spain, the USA senior team came knocking.
And Musah could be set to face England at the World Cup later this year, if he makes it on the plane to Qatar.
WHAT KIND OF PLAYER IS HE?
An attacking midfielder with an eye for a pass, Musah is strong on the ball.
His athleticism allows him to run past players with ease and create opportunities for his team-mates.
Able to play as a No10 or out wide, he also boasts fine dribbling skills and has an eye for goal.
But he’s a sucker for perfection and knows where he needs to improve.
He previously said in 2020: “I want to score more goals and be more consistent with my passes as well.
“Sometimes in the game I can do so many good passes and one bad one, I want to correct that.”
PRAISE BE
Musah has started five games for Valencia this season, and has already registered two assists.
He speaks excellent Spanish and was seen on his debut constantly talking to his team-mates and showing the self-confidence needed to be a success.
With Arsenal short of back-up midfielders due to Mohamed Elneny’s long-term injury, they might’ve missed a trick by not integrating Musah into their first-team set-up sooner.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
