Former Arsenal youngster signs for Crawley Town after tough time in Germany | OneFootball

Bradley Ibrahim, a once-promising talent in Arsenal‘s youth ranks, has joined Crawley Town on a season-long loan from Hertha BSC.

The 19-year-old midfielder returns to England after a challenging spell in Germany, where he struggled to make the impact expected of him at Hertha Berlin.

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 25: Bradley Ibrahim of Arsenal in action during the FA Youth Cup Final match between Arsenal U18 and West Ham United U18 at Emirates Stadium on April 25, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Ibrahim’s journey began at Arsenal’s academy, which he joined in September 2017 after spending his early years at Queens Park Rangers (QPR).

His progression through the ranks at Arsenal was swift, leading to his first professional contract with the Gunners in March 2022. During his time at Arsenal, Ibrahim was regarded as one of the club’s brightest prospects, even captaining the Under-18 side to the FA Youth Cup final in 2023.

Despite his promise, Ibrahim found first-team opportunities at Arsenal hard to come by. Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, recognised Ibrahim’s talent and gave him two substitute appearances during the Europa League group stage.

However, with a competitive midfield at the Emirates Stadium, Ibrahim sought regular playing time elsewhere, which led to his move to Hertha Berlin in January.

Ethan Nwaneri and Bradley Ibrahim in training with the Arsenal first team (Photo via Arsenal.com)

Unfortunately, the transition to German football has not been smooth for Ibrahim.

According to reports from Bild not long after his arrival, the young midfielder was struggling with the fundamentals of the game, including ball retention and decision-making on the pitch.

Despite the high expectations from Hertha’s manager, Pál Dárdai, Ibrahim failed to make a first-team appearance and was limited to playing with the U23s in Germany’s fourth tier.

His 12 appearances for Hertha’s reserves were marred by disciplinary issues, including eight yellow cards, and he was omitted from the squad for the last five matches, reportedly due to concerns about his pace and physicality.

This difficult period in Germany has drawn parallels to some of the issues that hindered Ibrahim’s progress at Arsenal. Despite his evident potential, there were concerns within the club about his readiness for senior football.

Now, with a fresh start at Crawley Town, Ibrahim has the chance to revitalise his career and demonstrate the talent that once made him a standout in Arsenal’s academy. Crawley, currently competing in League Two, will be hoping that Ibrahim can bring his midfield creativity to the team.

Ibrahim will join up with his new teammates this week as they look to make a strong push in League Two.