Arsenal are preparing to spend quite heavily on youth players this summer for the first time in a long time
Arsenal are preparing to spend quite heavily on youth players this summer for the first time in a long time, according to The Athletic journalist David Ornstein.
The Gunners have been in fine form this season as they look to secure their first Premier League title since 2004, and it appears they are looking to prepare for the future by recruiting youngsters.
Arsenal know they need to strengthen their squad if they are to keep challenging across all competitions following elimination from the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, but they want to focus on landing young players too as it could end up saving them millions going forward.
“There’s a sort of word in the industry that Arsenal are preparing to spend quite heavily on youth players this summer for the first time in a long time, or maybe ever, in terms of significant spend,” Ornstein said on The Athletic FC Podcast.
The Gunners are expected to land Wolverhampton Wanderers under-17 defender Brayden Clarke ahead of four other Premier League clubs after tabling an offer for the 16-year-old.
They also want to sign Ajax’s 17-year-old defender Jorrel Hato, but the Eredivisie club are aware of the interest in the Netherlands international and are now working to get their academy graduate to agree to a new contract in the coming weeks.
Arsenal are leading the race for 15-year-old Aberdeen defender Lewis Carrol and are ready to pip Chelsea to his services after recently coming into the picture.
The teenage sensation who has been compared to Manchester City centre-back John Stones in style is not the only young player the Gunners are eyeing in the Scottish Premiership.
Arsenal are also closing in on Rangers attacking midfielder Alexander Smith and are now ready to open talks with the Light Blues about recruiting the 15-year-old.
The North Londoners are willing to offer Rangers a six-figure compensation fee for his services, and the inability to sign European players under 18 years of age due to post-Brexit rules has seen the Gunners and other English clubs focus on the internal UK market, with Scotland now a big market for them.
More youngsters will be targeted in the coming months, and Arsenal are ready to aggressively attack the youth market.
