5 forgotten Arsenal wonderkids still playing in obscure leagues worldwide
Arsenal are renowned as one of the biggest clubs in world football and have produced a stunning array of players from their academy.
However, some haven’t quite reached those heights and ended up having far more alternative careers.
We’ve decided to focus on five Arsenal academy graduates playing their football in some of the more obscure leagues around the world.
Marcelo Flores – Tigres
Hopes were high for Flores when he arrived at Arsenal at the start of the 2020s; The Guardian named him in their “Next Generation 2020”, highlighting the best young players in the world.
The attacking midfielder made the bench for a league game at Crystal Palace in April 2022, but never played for the Gunners and a loan spell at Real Oviedo was spectacularly unspectacular.
Arsenal came to an agreement with Tigres for Flores and the Mexican international has scored nine goals in 49 appearances.
Armstrong Oko-Flex – FC Zurich
Oko-Flex spent five years on Arsenal’s books before moving to Celtic in 2018, failing to make a senior appearance for the Gunners.
Three seasons later, the winger was signed by West Ham and made a brief cameo appearance in the Hammers’ successful Europa Conference League campaign in 2022-23.
He’s played for FC Zurich for the past two seasons, scoring three times in 28 appearances for the Swiss club.
Fin Stevens – St. Pauli
After being released by Arsenal in 2019, Stevens spent a season at Isthmian League Premier Division club Worthing before linking up with Thompson at Brentford.
The 18-year-old was awarded their B Team Player of the Year award in 2020-21 and also made 10 first-team appearances for Brentford.
He left the Bees last summer and moved to Germany, where he plays in the Bundesliga for hipster favourites St. Pauli.
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Miguel Azeez – PAS Giannina
Azeez made his Arsenal debut alongside Cottrell in a Europa League win over Dundalk in 2020 and showcased his skills during an impressive cameo, evading pressure with a brilliant turn in the middle of the park.
He never made another competitive first-team appearance for Arsenal but did score in a 2021 pre-season friendly win against Watford.
The midfielder is now playing out in the Greek second tier for PAS Giannina, having signed a contract with the club in the summer of 2024.
Gedion Zelalem – New Mexico United
You’d be forgiven for allowing Zelalem’s existence to slip your memory.
The midfielder was handed some minutes in the cup competitions for Arsenal, but after sensing his first-team opportunities would be limited, the German midfielder forged a career elsewhere.
Zelalem spent four years in MLS but struggled to establish himself as a regular for Sporting Kansas City or New York City FC.
Following his stint in the United States, the 28-year-old returned to Europe to play for Dutch second-division side Den Bosch for two seasons.
He now plays for New Mexico United in the USL Championship.