From Arsenal to Heerenveen: Dutch side rejects promising 2023 Flying Eagles invitee

The youngster is looking to get his career back on track after unceremoniously leaving the Gunners earlier this summer

Eredivisie outfit Heerenveen have opted not to offer a contract to former Arsenal prospect Joel Ideho following an unconvincing week-long trial with the club, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 20-year-old winger has been a free agent since parting ways with Arsenal on July 1.

In his pursuit of a new club, Ideho spent time at Heerenveen, aiming to impress and secure a deal. However, the club has decided to bid farewell to the young attacker, who had been on trial in Friesland since last week.

During his time on trial, Ideho managed to play for twenty minutes in a friendly against Huddersfield Town on Saturday afternoon.

However, his performances failed to meet the club’s expectations, leading to the decision not to pursue the transfer-free winger any further.

As per VoetbalPrimeur, Heerenveen’s general manager, Ferry de Haan, expressed gratitude for Ideho’s efforts during the past few days and wished him success in his future endeavours.

Having progressed through Willem II’s youth academy, Ideho made a significant move to Ajax in 2020, where he quickly caught the attention of Arsenal. During his stint with the Gunners, he featured for their under-18 and under-23 teams.

Following his impressive displays at Arsenal, Ideho garnered the attention of Nigeria’s U20 head coach, Ladan Bosso. Bosso invited Ideho – born in the Netherlands to Nigerian parents – to join the Flying Eagles, Nigeria’s U20 national team.

However, despite the invitation, Ideho did not make the final squad for the 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup, in which Nigeria reached the quarterfinals.

Interestingly, former Guinean forward Ibrahima Yattara highly regards Ideho and has recommended the young talent to former Turkish champions Trabzonspor.