The 23 Arsenal academy graduates playing elsewhere in major leagues

While the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have established themselves at Arsenal, other academy graduates have had to look elsewhere for first-team opportunities.

Not everyone can make the grade at the Emirates but a lot of these players are still able to enjoy successful careers in the biggest leagues.

We’ve taken a look at the 21 Arsenal academy graduates that are currently playing in one of Europe’s top six leagues – the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and the Primeira Liga.

Willock, who joined the Arsenal academy at the age of four, made his first-team debut in 2017 but struggled to nail down a starting spot in their midfield.

The 22-year-old spent the second half of 2020-21 on loan at Newcastle United and scored eight goals in 14 appearances before making the move permanent in a £25million deal.

He is yet to rekindle the goalscoring form he showed during the loan spell but is starting to pick up his form under Eddie Howe.

Joe Willock matched Newcastle legend Alan Shearer by scoring in seven consecutive Premier League games pic.twitter.com/7Lm50TLcP5

— GOAL (@goal) May 24, 2021

After failing to add to two League Cup appearances with any Premier League action, Hayden dropped down to the Championship with Newcastle in 2016.

The midfielder helped them win promotion in his first season and has stayed in the North East ever since, making over 150 appearances for the club. His injury-stricken 2021-22 campaign has been one to forget, though, and he’s been on the sidelines while Eddie Howe’s Magpies have climbed up the table.

Having left Arsenal as a teenager, Gayle worked his way through non-league before making his Premier League debut at 22 with Crystal Palace.

He moved to Newcastle in 2016