Arsenal are reportedly closing in on the signings of Manchester United youngsters James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye. The Gunners are on a youth recruitment drive this summer and are poaching two players from their rivals.
Targets identified for under-21s
Arsenal are keen to bolster their ranks in the under-21s side this summer and have identified winger Scanlon, 19, and right-back Ogunneye, 20, as targets. Both players spent time away from United on loan last season and are now ready to change clubs permanently.
Scanlon scored once in six appearances with Swindon Town in League Two last season, while Ogunneye made 21 appearances for Newport County, in the same division, in the first half of the campaign before being recalled.
Confidence in deals
The Athletic reports that Arsenal are confident of getting both deals over the line. If the moves go ahead then they will follow a number of other transfers for young players this summer.
They recently agreed a deal for 16-year-old England youth international striker Vincent Joseph following his exit from Liverpool's academy. The two Premier League giants are set to go to a tribunal after failing to agree on a compensation fee for Liverpool.
Mylo Bernard, 16, has joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace after his schoolboy deal expired with the Eagles, while 16-year-old Axel Donczew is reportedly poised to leave Cardiff City for north London. Elijah Upson, the son of former West Ham defender Matt Upson, has also joined the Gunners after leaving Tottenham.
Focus on future success
Arsenal are conscious that, after winning the Premier League, they need to have one eye on the future, with top-quality youngsters progressing through the academy sides.
The Gunners' Hale End academy has produced the likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman and Marli Salmon in recent years. Saka remains a key player for Mikel Arteta's side, while Dowman and Salmon are bright talents for the future. However, Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly have both been linked with summer exits due to the fierce competition for places in the first team.
The youth recruitment drive comes after the Gunners appointed former Strasbourg technical director Pascal De Maesschalck as the club's new academy head to replace Per Mertesacker.
After the appointment last month, Arsenal's sporting director Andrea Berta said: "We are delighted to welcome Pascal to Arsenal. He brings extensive experience from some of Europe's leading football clubs and has an outstanding track record in youth development."
"We are excited to have him with us as we continue to build for the future, developing young players and identifying the best emerging talent to join Arsenal on a journey towards professional football."
