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Per Mertesacker, who will step down as Arsenal academy manager at the end of the season, will bow out in style next month.
Arsenal have completed the signing of Beau Luton ahead of the Next Gen Beijing Cup. Next month, the former Wingate & Finchley defender will join the Gunners Under-15s when they jet off to China to test themselves against some of the most promising young players in the world.
Wolves and Aston Villa will also participate at the tournament, as well as four Chinese teams and the Hong Kong China U16 Elite Selection Team. Per Mertesacker will also travel to Beijing, accompanying Craig Smith and his coaching staff.
In an interview with the club website, the Gunners Under-15s boss claimed Luton, who will be eligible to sign a scholarship contract in the summer of 2027, and his new teammates are looking forward to the experience.
Smith said: "The players are buzzing about it. Most of us have never been to China before, so that's a really good experience to be able to give these players, and then, on top of that, competitive football in some great stadiums we're going to be playing in.
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"They're all really excited to do it. The whole premise of why we do these sorts of tours is to start building up players to understand what it's like when they get to the top level or a first team level to be able to go away for an extended period of time and be able to perform.
"The first thing they're going to have to deal with is the jet lag when they get there, the different culture, and much more. It's going to be full on; these are full-length matches happening every few days, so recovery is key.
"One of our key taglines is adapt and perform, so that's going to be huge for the boys in those games where we might be used to press in a certain way, but all of a sudden we're against a shape that, we haven't played before and they've got to adapt and change how we play without the ball or play and change our formation or our tactics that we use.
"So the whole adaptation side of it, I think, is really good. I like the competitive nature of the tournaments that we go into, and then on top of that, you end up being a lot more together at the end of tours because you've spent so much time together.
"You might have had some highs, you might have had some lows, but you see the whole group come together a little bit more by the end of it."
In January, Mertesacker announced that he will leave Arsenal at the end of the season. The trip will be the German's last before he steps down as academy manager after eight years in the role.
Smith continued: "I feel really fortunate to be leading the tour that's going to be Per's last at the club. Per brings such a wealth of knowledge and he's so well respected within the academy that anytime he's around the boys, you can hear a pin drop when he talks.
"They really hang on to everything he said because he's been there and done that, and the standards he sets around what he expects from a strong young gunner. He makes sure that.
"The boys are on it and he doesn't really have to do a lot to make sure they're on it, to be honest. It's going to be great having him on tour. I'm definitely going to delve into his knowledge and his playing background and any little lessons that we can take from him, take advantage of him being around the boys.
"Per's brilliant at getting involved. He'll be in the training sessions. He'll do everything from the warm-up to the games at the end, and he sets the example on the pitch. So, it's going to be great for the boys whilst we're out there."
On the culture that China has to offer, Smith added: "One of our pillars is lifelong learner, and with that is like stuff that you're doing outside of football, broadening your horizons, experiencing different cultures.
"We've got a few little cultural excursions booked up. So one's the Great Wall of China, and one's a Kung Fu lesson at the Summer Palace. I think they're doing a ping-pong lesson out there as well.
"So it's an amazing opportunity to embrace the culture and bond as a team. I think these tournaments and events abroad bring players together and create memories that will last forever."
Provisional Arsenal Under-15s squad heading to China
Charlie Phillips, Max Lo Presti, Zach Van Der Straaten, Frankie Wyatt, Hudson Sando, Onye Asiegbu, Isaiah Matthews, Beau Luton, Keyaan Davison, Fletcher McBryde, Mikael Bonaventura Yetna, Noah Laditan, Blake Day King, Emmanuel Ahaneku, Reiss Twenboa Kudoa, Jaden Maghoma, Kyron Raymond-Callender, Luis Munoz, Bubacarr Jallow, Leo Aliadiere, Ezra Okafor.
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