Brooklyn Beckham Reportedly Fails to Make Grade at Arsenal Academy

Brooklyn Beckham "will not be retained next season" by Arsenal, according to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail. It is suggested the 15-year-old—who was looking to land a two-year scholarship with the north London club's Hale End academy—is some way behind the club's other prospects in his development as a footballer.

Mokbel suggests Beckham was "always playing catch up" after joining relatively late. Even so, Arsenal coaches "still rate the teenager highly" and believe he can become a professional player with another team. As noted by Mokbel, it is yet to be confirmed whether this is something Beckham will pursue.

Indeed, Metro amplified the suggestion the youngster could quit the sport:

Beckham has a lot to live up to. He plays on the right wing, just like his famous father, David, and he has perhaps missed out on a "normal" route to footballing academies through his public lifestyle.

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David had already inked a schoolboy agreement with Manchester United by the time he turned 14, having previously spent time with Tottenham, among others. He rose through the ranks in one of England's most revered academies and played in the famous Class of '92 side, arguably the greatest team of the Premier League era.

It is suggested Brooklyn's recent promotion to Arsenal's under-18 squad was "a case of default rather than merit," per Mokbel. Most players in the under-16 and under-17 teams had travelled to a youth tournament in Qatar when this happened. However, it is not specified why Beckham failed to make the journey.

Beckham posted a video of himself hitting the bar for Arsenal's youth team on Feb. 10:

In that short clip, the similarities between the youngster and his father are obvious. Brooklyn's running style and kicking technique resemble David's to a remarkable extent, but it's questionable whether he's had time to put in as much practice as his parent at this level.

David was known to take every opportunity possible to hone his iconic style, time Brooklyn most likely hasn't been afforded with two jet-setting parents.

Brooklyn still has time to impress, however, and he will remain with the Gunners until the end of the season. A good reference from the club could certainly see him pop up elsewhere, particularly if he's just in need of knuckling down to improve his skills.

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As with brothers Romeo and Cruz—both of whom will remain at Hale End academy—his every move is likely to make the headlines regardless of whether he becomes a professional footballer.