Arsenal are enjoying another brilliant season in the Premier League under former player Mikel Arteta, with the Gunners currently sitting just two points off leaders Liverpool.
Arteta's side have only lost four times in the league so far this campaign, with the Gunners boasting the best defensive record in the division – conceding just 22 times in the 25 league games so far this season.
However, in recent games, Arsenal have been just as impressive in the final third as they have been defensively. During the last two encounters, Arteta's side have kept two clean sheets but have also scored 11 times after a 6-0 win over West Ham and a 5-0 win against Burnley on Saturday.
Despite their impressive tally in front of goal, the club might've missed a trick with another attacking player who was at the club during his younger years; Michael Olise.
Michael Olise's time at Arsenal
Unbeknownst to some, the dazzling Frenchman actually spent a brief period at the Hale End Academy as a youngster.
Telling the BBC, youth coach Sean Conlon stated: "It wasn't that he was particularly big or strong; it was the efficiency of his movements. He was very elegant, a graceful runner. He glided across the pitch. There was ease about the way he did things.
"At the time he was just in at Arsenal. Then in the U8s season he joined various development centres as well as us and he became more polished. He was so slight as a youngster, he needed game intelligence."
Olise subsequently joined Chelsea's academy, where he was until the age of 14 before making his name at Reading in the Championship.
Olise's time at Palace
Now aged 22, the French winger plays for Crystal Palace in the Premier League – with the attacker attracting interest from multiple other English sides.
Manchester United have been the side that have been linked with Olise most, with the Red Devils rumoured to be wanting to sign the Palace forward for a fee in the region of £60m.
Olise has made 82 appearances for Palace, scoring 12 times and assisting another 22 since his £8m move to Selhurst Park back in July 2021.
The right-sided forward has impressed with his ability to cut inside on his stronger left foot, with Olise's displays similar to that of current Arsenal star boy Bukayo Saka.
His performances for Roy Hodgson's side has seen his market value skyrocket, with the 22-year-old now worth £42.5m as per Transfermarkt, and more than capable of making the jump to being a first-team starter for a big six Premier League side.
How Olise compares to Bukayo Saka
Saka has taken his game to the next level under Arteta this campaign, scoring 12 times with eight assists in his 24 Premier League appearances – the highest total of anyone in the Arsenal side.
The Hale End Academy graduate has been crucial in the club's attempt to win a first league title since the invincible campaign, with Saka's market value now reaching an astronomical £102.5m.
When comparing Saka to Olise this season, the Crystal Palace winger beats the Arsenal man in multiple key areas as a similarly left-footed player cutting in off the right-hand side.
Olise has averaged 4.4 progressive passes per 90, with Saka unable to match his tally, with the Englishman trailing Palace's winger by 0.6 per game. Saka also trails Olise for successful take-ons per 90, with the Hale End Academy product averaging 1.8 compared to the Frenchman's tally of 2.4.
Whilst Saka blows Olise out of the water for goals this season, the Palace winger averages more assists per game with his tally of 0.42 per 90 ranking him within the top 4% of attackers in Europe's top five leagues.
Even though the youngster wouldn't play instead of Saka, he certainly would add to the quality of Arsenal's already impressive frontline – with the Gunners potentially missing a trick with the Frenchman when he was at the club as a youngster.
