Arsenal snapped up Osei-Tutu as a 16-year-old from Reading’s academy in July 2015, joining Vlad Dragomir and Yassin Fortune as new talents signed to scholarship contracts. The defender is a versatile player, mainly playing as a full-back but also capable of playing both centrally and wide in midfield. The consensus is, however, that his main position as a full-back is where he is best as Osei-Tutu has performed well there for both Reading and Arsenal.
Quick progression
Only a few months after joining as a scholar, Osei-Tutu, now 17, has been signed to a professional contract after impressing for the Gunners’ under-18 side; a remarkable achievement considering Osei-Tutu still had the majority of his scholarship contract to go. The staff in Arsenal’s academy evidently see a bright future for the defender and wanted to tie him down to a professional deal.
It is not just Arsenal that Osei-Tutu has been impressing. The 17-year-old defender has also made his debut for the England youth set-up and looks a good bet to progress throughout the age groups.
Combining his versatility with pace and key defensive abilities, namely being a good reader of the game for someone so young and an imposing tackler, it looks like Arsenal may have a young gem on their hands.
Future
It stands to be seen whether Osei-Tutu could be the next English superstar to be graduate from Arsenal’s academy, like Jack Wilshere, or whether the young defender will fade into obscurity, like Matt Wicks.
Osei-Tutu’s chance of first team action this season looks slim, with Arsenal well stocked in the position considered the young defender’s primary position – full-back. Unless an injury bug hits Bellerin, Debuchy and Chambers on the right and then Monreal and Gibbs on the left, the English youth international looks set to continue his development in the academy.