Following the permanent transfer of Michael Dacosta Gonzalez to Moreirense FC, some AFCB fans have been led to thinking that this transfer highlights the disparity between the Men's First Team and the Development Squad, but is that a gap that can be bridged?
Now that we have had some time to reflect on what was such a historic season in so many metrics, one of the very few negatives that I have picked up on is the lack of minutes and chances that our academy players got in the last campaign.
Do not get me wrong, I am by no means saying that every player that we have deserves an opportunity to play in our Premier League games, but there is a difference between that and our Academy players having a whopping 7 minutes played all season.
The main issue that there is is the fact our Academy still has not achieved Category 1 status despite the new 'State of the Art' training facility opening. This will mean that our Academy will struggle to attract the caliber of players that the top Category 1 academies can attract.
X/RobertSantonna4Another avenue I want to look down is the quality of clubs that our top Academy prospects have joined once their time at AFCB has come to an end, and I personally think there is a lot of work to be done there.
Recent transfers include, Dan Adu-Adjei joining Croatian side Rijeka, Michael Dacosta Gonzalez joining Moreirense FC, and players like Will Dennis and Ben Winterburn going on loan to Leyton Orient and Barnet retrospectively.
It is clear that none of these clubs are even remotely near the quality of AFC Bournemouth, which indicates that all of our top academy players, despite being at the top of the Development Squad, are still nowhere near the level that our Premier League squad players are at.
However, a player who has left AFC Bournemouth after graduating our Academy is Jaidon Anthony, who was one Burnley's shining lights in their Premier League season and has developed very well since leaving the club in 2024.
REUTERS/Hannah MckayHere is what I think is essential into the overall development of our Academy, which could hopefully have a further knock-on effect on the diversity in profile of talent within the First Team squad.
Category 1 status: This is a given, the fact of the matter is any players from the local region if approached by clubs like Southampton, they would rather play for them as they are a Category 1 Academy, despite our training ground eclipsing theirs.
Academy minutes in cup games: We know that Marco Rose likes a cup run, but again, we have never even been remotely close to winning any domestic cup in our entire 120+ year history! So why not give the academy lads a chance to show their worth on that stage?
Higher Quality local loans: Personally, I think sending academy players on loan to clubs that are on the opposite side of the country, e.g, Sadi going to Carlisle on loan, isn't the best choice, and with a plethora of EFL clubs within a 75 mile radius, I am hoping we can send more of our Academy players on loan to clubs like Reading, Bristol Rovers, Portsmouth etc.
X/RobertSantonna4Let me know what you think of these ideas in the comments!
