Jeff Reine-Adelaide: Who is Arsenal's Emirates Cup star?

The 17-year-old was given the chance to impress by Arsene Wenger having arrived from Lens earlier in 2015, and grabbed the opportunity to impress with both hands.Arsene Wenger will be more guarded than most against lavishing premature praise on young prospects. For every Cesc Fabregas or Jack Wilshere, there is a Ryo Miyaichi or Arturo Lupoli.

But Wenger is all too aware of what a precocious talent he has brought to Arsenal in Jeff Reine-Adelaide.

"Reine-Adelaide is something special, you know," he told Arsenal Player after his cameo against Lyon in the Emirates Cup. "He is a great talent and when he came on you could see that... I don't remember how I played at 17 but I didn't play like that!"

Less than 24 hours later, Adelaide was in action again, this time against Wolfsburg. He stole the show, gliding around the pitch for 62 minutes, comfortable on the ball with both feet. At one stage, he left Manchester City target Kevin de Bruyne flat-footed with a Cruyff turn and by the time he had set up Theo Walcott for the only goal of the game, Arsenal fans were well aware of a player they previously would have known little about.

Adelaine is one of two youngsters – Yassin Fortune being the other – that Arsenal signed from French club Lens for a combined fee thought to be around €4 million [£2.8m].

It seems absurd to describe the 17-year-old as the senior of the pair, but he is 12 months older than Fortune and, on the evidence of his exploits at the Emirates Cup, is more likely to challenge for a first-team place next season,

Arriving from Lens lends Adelaide a certain pedigree: recent graduates from La Gaillette's system include France internationals Raphael Varane and Geoffrey Kondogbia, as well as PSG's powerful right-back Serge Aurier, who was also once a target for Arsenal.



Adelaide left Lens before making a first-team appearance but made the substitutes' bench for Lens' Ligue 1 visit to Metz on April 18 this year. He has a growing reputation at international level, too: last month he was a member of the France Under-17 squad that won the European Championship by beating Germany 4-1 in the final.

In total, he has made 11 appearances for France at youth level, scoring once, and ranks alongside the likes of PSG striker Odsonne Edouard as one of the most promising members of the 1998-born generation in his homeland.

Adelaide's performances against Lyon and Wolfsburg gave little indication as to his best position. He came on against the French side and impressed from the right-hand side, but on Sunday played the first half from the left before popping up in a No.10 role to stroke a pass into Walcott's path for the England man to score.

In 2014-15, for Lens' U19 and reserve teams he played in a number of positions, including right wing, left wing, as a central midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 and as an attacking midfielder in the same system. He boasts an adaptability which belies his years.





At just 17 years of age his physical attributes are already daunting for his opposition. He has shot up over the past couple of seasons and now stands comfortably over 6ft. Tall and rangy, he has a lean, athletic build and a long stride that takes him away from opponents with and without the ball. His pace in possession over the first five to 10 metres is excellent and, allied to terrific close control and dribbling skills, means he is difficult to stop in full flow.

Adelaide is happy taking the ball in tight areas on his stronger right foot or weaker left; it was noticeable against Wolfsburg that, when he plays on the left wing he is happy going outside his man on his less comfortable side. He has the skill and invention to beat players in one-on-one situations and has the awareness and selflessness to play one-twos to work the ball up the field.

If there's a weakness in his game then you could argue it is one which is typically Arsenal – he has a tendency to overplay on the edge of the penalty area. Instead of shooting on goal when he gets the opportunity, he tends to look for one final pass or try to beat one more player, suggesting he is more comfortable as a provider than a goalscorer. But at 17, it is of course highly likely his decision-making in that crucial part of the pitch will improve in the coming seasons.

There is always a risk to spending money on a player at such a young age, but Arsenal and Wenger clearly feel Adelaide has the potential to develop into a top-class footballer in the years to come.

Judging his appearances in this tournament - albeit a non-competitive one - and comparing him to his peers in France, it would appear to be a smart assessment.