Having impressed considerably when Unai Emery was still in charge at Arsenal, Joe Willock hasn't had too much of a look-in under Mikel Arteta so far.

The academy starlet scored seven times in 23 games when Emery was the man in the dug-out, but has been restricted to just 56 minutes of Premier League football since the new man has come in on a permanent basis.

In a season that has been bitterly disappointing - the Gunners find themselves ten points off the top four - one factor for their downfall that hasn't been talked about much, is the departure of Aaron Ramsey last summer.

The Wales international joined Serie A giants Juventus on a free transfer after reports claimed a contract offer from the Gunners was pulled from the negotiating table. Ramsey was arguably Mr Arsenal of the 2010s, symbolising all the good and the bad. He scored two FA Cup final winning goals, but was also slammed by pundits like Gary Neville for his performances.

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What cannot be understated however, is that on his day, he could be a game-changing presence with his ability to score goals from midfield. Such a player is like gold-dust in the modern game, and Ramsey perfected that art. In his standout 2013/2014 campaign for the Gunners, the 29-year-old struck 16 times and provided a further ten assists in just 34 games across all competitions.

That eye for a goal is exactly what can be found in Willock's game. Indeed, speaking after his goal against Standard Liege in the Europa League earlier this season, the 20-year-old remarked: "That’s one of my targets, to add goals into my game, so I am happy to have done that".

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Whilst judging youth team stats aren't always the greatest barometer of whether a player can succeed at the highest level, Willock's record of seven goals and seven assists in 26 games in the Premier League 2 suggests he has this innate ability to find the back of the net from deeper in midfield.

The fact that the Gunners had the Premier League's Golden Boot winner last season in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and yet still managed to finish even outside of the top four, speaks volumes of how critical is for them to find goal-scorers outside of their number 14.

Willock may still only be young at 20-years-old, but Arteta should give the 6 foot 1 powerhouse the chance to prove to him whether he can be the long-term answer to Ramsey's exit and the lack of goals from midfield. Arsenal legend Ian Wright even called for him to be given more game-time, saying he's someone who's ready to make the step up. Now it's up to the manager to show that same faith.

Meanwhile, John Cross has provided a major update on Arsenal's summer transfer plans.