Following the capture of Cardiff City whizzkid Aaron Ramsey and the likelihood of acquiring Plymouth Argyle’s Aaron Spear, I cannot help but find myself wondering whether or not Arsenal are doing their youngsters any justice in bringing in yet more young prospects.

These two acquisitions can only be good for the club in the sense that they are raw British talent, however players who have come through the academy at Arsenal may well feel that they have been knocked back the pecking order in terms of gaining first team experience. This leads to a vicious cycle which then sees these young stars loaned out in order to gain first team football and, after realising that their opportunities will be scarce again on their return, they end up leaving the club.

A young man who seems to be making a lot of noise in the media at the moment is David Bentley and he is a prime example of the Arsenal system that left him seeking pastures new. Bentley clearly showed glimpses of the talent he possesses, but like so many young players, thought he was more developed than he actually was. Bentley now plies his trade with Blackburn Rovers, albeit that no-one can be certain for how long. He has made no secret of his ambition to play Champions League football but if he only listened to his manager then I have no doubt that he would be a contender in an Arsenal side who consistently make the Champions League.

Over the past few years there have been plenty of players who, like Bentley, have shown that if they remained patient and focused then could have been rewarded with first team football. Sebastian Larsson, Fabrice Muamba, Jermaine Pennant, Richard Wright and Matthew Upson were all touted as ‘young stars’ by Wenger but have seemingly achieved little in their careers once they left The Gunners.

After seeing this happen to many of these players, I do fear for the current crop of fledglings looking to break through to the first team. The main reason why Aaron Ramsey signed is that, despite the fact that Arsene Wenger impressed him and his family in Zurich, he knew that Arsenal are a club that trusts its younger players to deliver. So it looks like Ramsey will be in the first team squad next season, but what does that mean for those who have been promised they will feature next term?

Three of the players that are pushing for a place in the squad are Henri Lansbury, Kieran Gibbs and Mark Randall and I can see them having FA and Carling Cup roles. But with the introduction of new players joining the squad, will this trio become part of the cycle that will eventually see them leave? Let’s hope not, because if Sepp Blatter gets his way then it would be good to have an Arsenal side burgeoning with British talent.