Everything you need to know about Arsenal's Reuell Walters | OneFootball

Sometimes what's meant for us takes longer to arrive than we initially expected. Arsenal academy star Reuell Walters has been through a number of different phases in his career, and can testify to this.

Born in Streatham, south-east London, it didn't take long for Walters to feel the leather under his feet. Initially attending a Brazilian football school in Croydon, on the southern periphery of the capital, he joined Peckham Town FC at the age of seven. Two years later, he continued his training with Unique FA. Founded by Jamie Waller, who also trained at West Ham United and Crystal Palace, the independent academy aims to "recreate a professional football academy environment for elite players who were signed or had previously been signed and released, from the professional club academy system."

Reuell Walters' experiences with Tottenham and Man Utd

As physically developed as he was mentally and tactically, Walters quickly attracted the interest of Chelsea and Tottenham, two clubs with whom Waller worked. The youngster would sign for Tottenham in March 2015 and everything was going well until Walters told his father about his unhappiness. "Dad, I just feel really lost. At football, I don't know where I am", he recalled of his son's words in The Athletic.

"It felt like he was retreating very much into a shell. The expressiveness, the explosiveness, the attacking side of his game - all the things where you would watch him and go 'He's come alive' - were very slowly dimming and dulling which was really worrying," added Aisha, his mother.

Which is why, in June 2019, after four years at the Spurs academy, young Walters and his parents decided to leave Tottenham. Other clubs such as Fulham, Manchester United, Manchester City and West Ham United were all quick to make contact with the family. It was finally at the Red Devils' academy that Walters bounced back. But once again, things did not go according to plan. After a trial that was judged to be conclusive, the club was unable to register him, leaving him in yet another uncertain situation.

When United were finally given permission to sign Walters, they decided that other positions were more of a priority, and opted against bringing him in. In an attempt to help him bounce back, the club found him a trial with Charlton Athletic, but with COVID-19 hitting the world hard, the hypothetical story between the two parties ended there. Later, Walters resumed individual training sessions alongside Saul Isaksson-Hurst, who had worked in the Chelsea and Tottenham academies.

Reuell Walters' time at Arsenal so far

It was also him who introduced Walters to Lee Herron, Arsenal's head of talent ID. Thanks to his performances, in August 2020, the young player won a trial with the Gunners, a club he had supported as a youngster. In October, after a thorough review by the Premier League to ensure he had not been drafted in, Walters signed for the Gunners' U16 team.

The versatile defender made 20 appearances for the north London side's U23s during the 2021-22 season. At the same time, in February 2022, he signed the first professional contract of his career. The following summer, he was part of Mikel Arteta's pre-season squad, during which he made his first senior appearances.

Returning to the U18 and U23 sides for the majority of the season, by March 2023 he was making numerous appearances on the bench for the first-team, in both the Premier League and the Europa League. As of February 2024, Walters had yet to make his official debut for the north London club, but it is likely to happen soon.

On the international stage, Walters has already played for England's U18s and U19s. A few months ago, he was also called up to the top category to take part in the Euro U20 Elite League. However, he could well choose to represent the German national team in the future, with his grandmother making him eligible to do so.

Walters is a defender who can be described as versatile. Mainly used as a right-back (he played in that position 12 times during the 2022-23 season), he is also very comfortable playing in the heart of the defence. Quick, forward-thinking and remarkably powerful for his young age, Walters responds perfectly to Arteta's vision. While he obviously has room for improvement and experience to gain, he also has good ball control. All of which impressed Oleksandr Zinchenko, who praised him on Rio Ferdinand's FIVE podcast.

What's next for Reuell Walters?

The question of Walters' future will soon be high on the Gunners' agenda, and with good reason. The Streatham boy, who joined the club in 2020, will reach the end of his contract next June. As reported by The Evening Standard, Arsenal, who have high ambitions for their defender, are reportedly in talks with the player and his entourage about signing a new deal.

However, the media outlet also points out that a number of Premier League and European clubs are continuing to monitor his situation and could move quickly to take action. Some - whose names have not been revealed - have even tried to sign him on loan in January 2024. Whatever the case, Walters' future is sure to be a hot topic over the coming weeks and months, and Arsenal will do well to keep him at the Emirates for beyond this year.