Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has ruled out a loan move for wonderkid Jeff Reine-Adelaide this season.
The 17-year-old made his senior debut for the Gunners in their 6-0 Emirates Cup thrashing of Lyon at the weekend, and then put in a man-of-the-match display against Wolfsburg 24 hours later.
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But Wenger has insisted that the highly-rated attacking midfielder will not go elsewhere to enhance his development, and will instead be around the first-team picture at Arsenal.
“He will definitely be here,” he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports. “He is 17 years old and looks very promising, but he needs to work with us now for a year with the first team, to play with the U21s and develop. There is a fantastic potential there and he will stay with us.”
The Frenchman has previously described his teenage compatriot, whom he signed from Lens for what could turn out to be a bargain £1.75m earlier this summer, as “something special”.
Reine-Adelaide, capable of playing on either wing or behind the striker, was due to go on Arsenal’s pre-season tour to Asia before a minor injury niggle forced him to withdraw.
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