Mikel Arteta's son, Gabriel Arteta Bernal, has taken another significant step in his development within Arsenal's academy, making his competitive debut for the club's Under-18 side on Wednesday. The 16-year-old came off the bench in the 70th minute during a 3-0 victory over Reading at Bearwood Park.
Rapid Rise Through the Ranks
Gabriel, who was born in 2009 while his father played for Everton, has spent most of his life in north London. His appearance for the U18s comes just six months after he made his competitive debut for the U17s in a Premier League Cup match against Watford in October. Prior to that, he had been named on the bench for an U18s friendly against Ipswich Town in February, but this was his first competitive outing at that level.
Interestingly, Gabriel has not followed his father's path as a central midfielder; instead, he operates as a winger. During the match, he played alongside Emerson Nwaneri, the brother of Ethan Nwaneri, who scored for the U18s.
Family and Background
Gabriel is the eldest of Mikel Arteta's three sons with his wife, Lorena Bernal. His younger brothers are Daniel and Oliver. In 2023, Gabriel accompanied the first team on their pre-season trip to the United States, serving as an assistant to the coaching staff.
Academy Developments at Arsenal
Arsenal have continued to strengthen their academy setup, with QPR's head of emerging talent, Dean Barker, joining the recruitment team. Barker previously worked as a PE teacher at the same school that produced Ethan Nwaneri, who is currently on loan at Marseille but remains Arsenal's youngest ever player.
The club's academy has produced several talents in recent years. Max Dowman recently became the Premier League's youngest ever goalscorer when he netted against Everton. Prior to that, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly enjoyed breakout performances, though their progress has stalled this season, with Nwaneri moving on loan and Lewis-Skelly linked with a transfer due to limited playing time.
Bukayo Saka is another notable academy product, having established himself as one of the league's best wingers and signing a lucrative contract tying him to the club until 2030.
Arteta's Vision for the Academy
Mikel Arteta has previously expressed his desire for the academy to play a central role in the first team's success. He stated, "I want to have a team that is half-academy and half-foreign… and win the Premier League and Champions League consistently. To have it is possible. We can do that tomorrow. To achieve what? That is something different. I have a great example: Athletic Bilbao. What they have done with academy players and Basque players is remarkable."
