Zach Awe set to join Southampton following Arsenal departure

Southampton are set to sign Zach Awe after he left Arsenal at the end of his contract this summer, reports the Telegraph journalist Mike McGrath.

The 19-year-old centre-back will be competing for a place in the Saints first-team under manager Russell Martin.

Arsenal are due compensation as Awe left as a youth player, and the teenager will be eager to prove himself in the Championship after failing to break into the first-team at North London.

The 6ft 4in defender was a regular for Arsenal under-21s last term, making 35 appearances and starting most of them.

Awe also made the matchday squads of the first-team on a couple of occasions but did not manage to make his official debut.

He was on the bench when the Gunners took on Wolverhampton Wanderers last year and should soon make his bow for the Saints.

Awe is technically gifted despite his size, but forcing his way into Mikel Arteta’s plans proved impossible given the plethora of centre-back options available in the senior team.

The woeful defensive form of the under-21s also did not help his cause as they went without a league clean sheet for seven months last term, keeping a clean sheet just once (in October) in the whole of their Premier League 2 campaign.

Awe will look to quickly put the disappointment of not making it at Arsenal behind him and could soon be back in the top-flight as Southampton eye an immediate promotion.