Arsenal really are taking this bring-through-youth program seriously indeed, with the alleged ‘done deal’ with the extremely promising PSG youngster Yacine Adli, and now today it is being reported by Talksport that we have secured the signing of Barcelona starlet Joel Lopez…
They said:
Arsenal have secured the signing of Barcelona starlet Joel Lopez, who has rejected a contract extension with the Camp Nou club to instead move to north London.
Joel, a 16-year-old left-back, has been with Barca since the age of seven, but he has decided to leave Catalonia to further his playing prospects, as reported by Sport.
It is stated that Joel has already told Barcelona chiefs he will be leaving.
Raul Sanllehi, Arsenal’s head of recruitment, is believed to have played a key role in the deal. Sanllehi left Barcelona for the Gunners at the start of the year, and Joel emerged as a target for Arsenal soon after his appointment in north London.
As the teenager rejected Barcelona’s contract offer, Arsenal will only have to pay a compensation fee to secure Joel’s signature.
It looks like this is going to be a very important part of our transfer strategy going forward, but obviously for every Bellerin that comes through, there are numerous fallers by the wayside. But if we get the nugget that we’re looking for it would save us fortunes in the future!
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