Arsenal FC: Does Henri Lansbury Have a Future with the Club?

Sometimes, it's easy to forget that Henri Lansbury is still just 21 years old.

The young midfielder, who's been with Arsenal since 1999 when he moved from Norwich City's academy, bleeds Gunner red. His game has been founded upon the bedrock of Arsenal youth principle, after all.

Anyone who watched the England U-21s game against Belgium on Wednesday could attest to that fact. He has a propensity toward building attacks through precise passing and incisive movement. All that and more was on display at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium.

Dropping into the fringes of the left attacking third about midway through the first half, Lansbury gathered a pass and proceeded to unleash what looked like a searching long ball into the penalty area.

Only, the would-be cross took an almost negligible deflection and somehow, someway, embarked upon just the right trajectory before catching the Belgium keeper off his line.

Before Koen Casteels had time to properly react, the ball was dipping just so under the crossbar into his net. Whatever Lansbury's intentions, it was a stunning goal, and one of the best seen in awhile.

You might (rightly) wonder: If Lansbury is capable of strikes like that, and given his natural instinct to crash into the penalty area in search of goals, then why isn't he suiting up for Arsenal's first team? It's not as if the side couldn't do with more goalscorers.

We won't see Lansbury back with Arsenal barring some unforeseen development. In all likelihood, he will remain out on loan until the end of the season. It's something that's not entirely new for him.

Like so many youngsters, Lansbury's late teens were spent in a peripatetic loan haze, with the Enfield native moving from Scunthorpe United to Watford to Norwich City before ending up at West Ham United this season.

Anywhere he's gone, he's scored goals. And in all honesty, that might be his greatest asset to Arsenal down the line, however talented a technician he is.

Lansbury's fearless ability to barrel into the goalmouth area and look for any and all ways to get a touch on crosses being fired in is a welcome departure from so many Arsenal players in recent seasons. When crosses have gone in, the six-yard box has looked more barren than a Saharan plain.

Against Tottenham in the Carling Cup in 2010, Lansbury's first goal sparked the Gunners in what would become a 4-1 rout. It wasn't the prettiest of strikes, what with him sliding in to force home a cross, but it was effective nonetheless.

And after all, a goal is a goal, regardless of its aesthetic quality.

Wenger has certainly taken note of the lad's accomplishments and abilities, and it must be said that the French manager appeared more hesitant than ever at the prospect of allowing Lansbury to head out on loan for this season.

As late as July, when rumors were swirling that Lansbury might be in line to make a permanent switch to Norwich City, where he'd excelled on loan last season and helped the Canaries earn promotion into the Premier League, Wenger was unequivocal in his desire to keep the young Englishman.

As late as the final days of August, Lansbury looked likely to play a part in this season. He did feature as a substitute in that ignominious slaughter at Old Trafford—his second club appearance of the season—but that would prove to be the last time he'd don the Gunners kit this term.

In fairness to him, Lansbury looked likely to play an increased role in the first team, but after the dreadful start he got off to, when Arsenal appeared in free-falling mode, Wenger was forced to make a last-minute shopping spree to bring in a raft of experienced players to the club.

Hence, Lansbury was once again forced to the periphery, and a subsequent loan deal loomed.

On the last day in August, he packed his bags and hopped on the tube to Upton Park.

Lansbury has made 13 appearances for the Hammers (including one memorable occasion where he was forced to play keeper), but he hasn't been able to see consistent playing time of late under manager Sam Allardyce.

The one goal gleaned from that run of 13 appearances may be a bit worrisome, but you certainly can't fault the lad's willingness to do any and all tasks to help his side win. And those two goals against Belgium prove that his eye for the back of the net remains as sharp as ever.

Class is permanent, after all.

Asked about his spell between the sticks for the Hammers, Lansbury told TheFA.com, "[West Ham] asked me if I’ve ever been in goal and I said I did a bit for England, so not having a goalkeeper on the bench it always looked like I was going in so I just got up and put the gloves on. So if necessary on Wednesday night, I will!"

Lansbury was referring to that Wednesday night match against Belgium. Luckily, Brian Eastick, who's assumed the managerial role for the U-21s in the wake of Stuart Pearce's promotion to incumbent England manager, didn't have to deal with his first-choice keeper being sent off in that one.

The England No. 10  was allowed to remain in midfield, where he pulled strings throughout with aplomb. His two goals make him the latest young Gunner to score for the England U-21s, after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's hat trick against Iceland back in October.

Props to the former Southampton man for that superb achievement, as the only supporters present were a few flies buzzing above the pitch.

But back to Lansbury: Will we see him scoring goals next season for Arsenal? Perhaps, but recent additions to the first team might cast doubt on that potential contribution.

Lansbury's best position would be as an attacking midfielder, but with Aaron Ramsey and a reinvigorated Tomas Rosicky now battling for that spot, there's little room there.

Moving to the wing, where Lansbury often comes on for Arsenal, Gervinho, Theo Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain are the first choices.

And with Ryo Miyaichi looking certain to find a place in the first team following what's already been an impressive loan stint with Bolton, Lansbury may find his path to first-team football blocked once more.

Will he thus become the latest in a long line of talented Arsenal youth products to fly the coop in search of more consistent first-team football?

I hope not.

He looks like he could make a real contribution to the side. That ability to score in front of goal doesn't come naturally to many, as we've seen too often this season.