Arsenal close to bargain deal for Wolves teenage centre-back Brayden Clarke

Arsenal are close to securing the services of teenage defender Brayden Clarke from Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The 16-year-old is regarded as one of the best young centre-backs in the United Kingdom and he has already represented Wales at the Under-17 level.

The Gunners consider him as a top talent, as per football.london, and they appear set to land his signature on a free without any kind of compensation.

Clarke, who has made 10 appearances for Wolves’ Under-18 side this term, has already posted a goodbye message on social media without revealing his next club.

He said: “I want to thank everybody who has helped me along the journey and I wish all of my teammates at Wolves the best of luck for the future.”

Football.london believe the Gunners appear to have won the race to sign the ‘highly-regarded’ teenager amid the mounting domestic competition.

Aside from Arsenal, at least three more teams tried to sign him.

Arsenal could be focusing on defensive graduates

Arsenal have had plenty of graduates stepping into the first-team squad over recent years. Bukayo Saka is the most prominent name in the current set-up.

The likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson have also made a name for themselves, but they are currently regulars on the bench.

When it comes to defenders, we have rarely seen graduates step up to the senior squad.

Reuell Walters has been training with the first-team stars for some point of time and many fans believe he could become a player to watch out for in future.

Aside from him, no one else has made a mark. Lino Sousa was touted as a potential senior star, but the teenager was allowed to join Aston Villa in January.

Clarke has been identified as one with the potential to break into the first-team plans.

The club need to make the best use of the academy by pursuing more emerging talents.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com