Liverpool and Arsenal are set to face off in a tribunal after reportedly being unable to agree a payment for young striker Vincent Joseph.
The 16-year-old has agreed to join the Gunners after leaving Liverpool last month. Joseph had been offered a scholarship contract by the Reds, yet decided to reject it and move down to north London instead.
England youth star's move
The England youth international, who had played for Liverpool's under-18s, saw his schoolboy registration contract expire. Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were all reportedly interested in his signature.
But the defending Premier League champions won the race and now owe a fee to Liverpool. Such payments are required when a youngster moves clubs before signing a professional contract.
Compensation to be decided
The Daily Mail report that the two clubs have been unable to reach an agreement and will therefore see the matter settled at a tribunal. The level of compensation for Liverpool will be decided by the Professional Football Compensation Committee (PFCC).
The PFCC will be given all the details of the discussions between the two clubs, what terms they offered Joseph and his career at Liverpool previously.
Joseph's record and similar cases
Joseph has eight goals in nine appearances for England under-16s and becomes the latest high-profile case of a young player moving between Premier League sides.
Back in February, Liverpool were ordered to pay Chelsea £2.8million in compensation for Rio Ngumoha. The young winger left the Blues' academy in September 2024 and later joined Liverpool, much to his ex-club's annoyance.
Ngumoha had turned down contract offers from Chelsea and headed for Liverpool because he felt there was a quicker route to the first team. The 17-year-old has since made 30 appearances for the club, scoring twice and making a big impact.
Arsenal's summer recruitment
Joseph is one of a group of young players who have been recruited by Arsenal this summer. Mylo Bernard, 16, has joined from Crystal Palace after his schoolboy deal expired with the Eagles.
Meanwhile, Axel Donczew is reportedly poised to leave Cardiff City for Arsenal. The 16-year-old became Cardiff's youngest ever first-team player when he turned out at 15 years and 234 days in October, but is now heading to north London too.
The competition for the best young players in the country has increased in recent years, with clubs realising the potential benefits of signing and developing them early. The compensation fees involved are much smaller and easily stomached by the Premier League's Big Six.
