Jack Porter: The 16-year-old goalkeeper who could play for Arsenal tonight

With David Raya’s fitness a concern and back-up Neto cup-tied, Mikel Arteta may have to turn to unproven teenager

Arsenal could be forced to select 16-year-old goalkeeper Jack Porter in their starting lineup to face Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday night, with serious doubts over David Raya’s fitness.
Raya was among the players who required medical treatment during Arsenal’s dramatic 2-2 draw against Manchester City last weekend and the Spaniard limped out of the Etihad Stadium after the match.
Arsenal’s usual backup to Raya is Brazilian goalkeeper Neto, who signed on a season-long loan in August, but the 35-year-old is cup-tied after playing in the competition for Bournemouth before moving to north London.
Mikel Arteta is also without third-choice goalkeeper Tommy Setford because of fitness issues. Porter is therefore in a strong position to feature against Bolton in the League Cup tie at the Emirates Stadium.
If he plays, Porter will become the youngest goalkeeper in Arsenal’s history and their second youngest player ever at 16 years and 72 days, behind current team-mate Ethan Nwaneri.
Asked about the goalkeeping situation on Tuesday, Arteta said: “We have to wait and see. But that’s why we train with four, sometimes five goalkeepers – we want them all around.”
Arsenal were unsuccessful in their attempts to sign a new third-choice goalkeeper this summer, alongside the acquisition of Neto, with a move for Wolves goalkeeper Dan Bentley never materialising as hoped.
Aaron Ramsdale, last year’s understudy to Raya, was sold to Southampton while young Estonia international Karl Hein has moved to Real Valladolid on loan.
Porter only turned 16 in July but is a highly-rated young goalkeeper who has represented England at youth level.
The teenager joined Arsenal in 2020 and is described by the club’s academy coaches as a “confident goalkeeper on and off the pitch”. One of his most important attributes is his ability to start moves in possession, which is a crucial part of Arsenal’s game plan at all ages.
Arsenal announced in July that Porter was among the academy players who had formally signed scholarship terms at the club. Within that announcement, Porter was described as “agile and a good shot-stopper”.
Porter has been around the first-team setup in recent weeks and was involved in Arsenal’s Champions League trip to Atalanta last week, when he was named on the bench for the goalless draw in Bergamo.
If he is to feature against Bolton it would mark an extraordinary ascension through the ranks at the club, as he only made his debut for Arsenal’s under-21 team in late August.
After that debut, a 3-1 victory away to Wolves, under-21 coach Mehmet Ali said of Porter: “We give players opportunities when they’ve earned them and deserve them, and Jack has been doing really well with the under-18s.”