Brooke Norton-Cuffy is a player of the U23 Arsenal side who is currently on loan to Lincoln City. The 18-year-old completed the loan deal in winter on the 18th of January 2022. Norton-Cuffy has a contract with Arsenal that expires in May 2022. His recent success at Lincoln City has been rewarded by Arsenal with a new deal that will go on till the end of 2023, according to David Ornstein via The Atheltic.
Brooke Norton-Cuffy’s primary playing position is right-back but he is also comfortable in a few other positions. He has also played as a left-back and centre-back on rare occasions. Brooke recently received a red card after a few exchanges of words with Lee Brown. However, Lincoln have appealed to overturn this call and the verdict is yet to be announced.
Despite that, he is enjoying a successful season with the third-tier side of the English league. He is enjoying his time at the right flank playing an average of 61 minutes per game. He also wins 50% of the duels which can improve considering he is a 17-year-old youngster (stats via SofaScore).
🚨 Talented Arsenal right-back Brooke Norton-Cuffy making strong impression on loan at Lincoln + has plenty of suitors in PL & Europe’s top leagues. Contract expires in 2023 but #AFC have offered new long-term deal + 18yo is expected to sign @TheAthleticUK https://t.co/S67696L8st
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) March 14, 2022
Why Is Arsenal Offering A Contract Extension To Brooke Norton-Cuffy?
Arsenal have a question about the right-back position and it is yet to be answered. Everybody thought that Takehiro Tomiyasu is the answer to their problems but his injuries have changed everyone’s opinion. Moreover, Cedric Soares has come to the recuse whenever Tomiyasu has been unavailable. However, Cedric’s position in the squad also remains endangered if Tomiyasu stays fit.
Not only that but Hector Bellerin and Ainsley Maitland-Niles also have their contracts with Arsenal expiring at the end of this season. Both the loanees are unlikely to return to the London club which worsens the situation. This is where Brooke Norton-Cuffy comes in. The youngster could be a long term answer to a long term problem Arsenal has been facing.
This heatmap of Brooke Norton-Cuffy suggests that he covers the whole right-flank and is not shy to go forward and help his team. This could even improve when he is surrounded by better players and plays in a system that benefits him. Within just a month, he has become a first-team player at Lincoln City.
Norton-Cuffy could be a very cheap option to solve their issues and could give him a chance instead of spending extra money. He is a very physical yet quick player which makes it difficult for other players to catch him. The 17-year-old is very strong at defending and winning the ball back. At the same time, he has very good dribbling skills, almost like a winger.
he’s too cold with it man https://t.co/4zC72hdWrK pic.twitter.com/0nfqpC6OaX
— J🇧🇩 (@18JB86) February 16, 2022
Should The Gunners Give Norton-Cuffy A Chance With The Senior Team?
The footballing world has witnessed a lot of players who have come through the academy and become a legend for their club. Norton-Cuffy does deserve one chance with Arsenal in cup competitions. This will help the Gunners monitor his growth and determine whether he could be a regular starter for Arsenal in the future or not.
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Lincoln City had a very poor game against Doncaster Rovers but Norton-Cuffy was the only positive to take for the Lincoln City fans. He was trying everything he could and brought energy into the game. This shows his fighting spirit and how he deserves to play for a big club like Arsenal.
Arsenal should keep him after his loan spell ends and give him a few opportunities before the winter transfer window. If he does not turn up as expected, they can let him leave on another loan to continue his progress. Norton-Cuffy will also benefit with Arteta as his manager as he has a good track record of converting youngsters into first-team players.
