Arsenal transfer target sends message after record deal agreed with medical planned

Arsenal could announce the signing of Victor Ozhianvuna before the transfer window slams shut. The Shamrock Rovers midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to Emirates Stadium this summer as Andrea Berta looks to build for the future.

Ozhianvuna has featured 13 times in the League of Ireland’s Premier Division this season, helping Stephen Bradley's side climb to the top of the table. The 16-year-old also made his UEFA Conference League debut back in February, coming off the bench in a 6-4 defeat on penalties to Molde.

His impressive performances haven't gone under the radar, attracting interest from Emirates Stadium. According to The Athletic, last week, the Gunners agreed a deal to sign Ozhianvuna from Shamrock Rovers for an Irish record fee.

Tottenham Hotspur forked out an initial £1.6m earlier this year for Mason Melia from St Patrick's Athletic. The report claims Ozhianvuna is set to sign a pre-contract with Arsenal, which means he'll join when he turns 18 in January 2027.

It's said that the teenager has already completed his medical. Ozhianvuna has hinted that a deal has gone through ahead of Monday night's deadline, uploading a cryptic post to his Instagram story.

The prospective Arsenal signing accompanied a picture of himself in his Shamrock Rovers kit with a song by an artist called 'Gunna'. Ozhianvuna, who's followed by Fabrizio Romano, has already started following Ethan Nwaneri ahead of a potential move to north London.

According to The Athletic, the technical director, James Ellis, and academy manager, Per Mertesacker, led Arsenal's pursuit of the youngster. The report claims the Gunners have spent the last three years developing a scouting network in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

It's said that Arsenal want to be 'well-positioned' to sign emerging Irish talent. The Athletic reckons that the north Londoners have an 'excellent relationship' with Shamrock's manager and sporting director.

Interestingly, the Irish outfit's head coach was a Chelsea fan growing up, having played for the club at youth level. Speaking to reporters ahead of Shamrock's clash against the Blues in the Conference League last year, Bradley heaped praise on Enzo Maresca

As quoted by The Independent, the Shamrock boss said: "You have to enjoy watching a team like Chelsea play this year. They’ve a mix of power, pace, a clear identity in what they’re doing, a real energy in the team.

"It’s been a real joy to watch them since the manager has come in. We’ve got to look and try and learn from these teams," added Bradley. "Chelsea was a club I was at from the age of 10.

"I trained here with some of their legends: [Roberto] Di Matteo, John Terry, Gianfranco Zola. That era. I remember them quite fondly. Brilliant times."

Story Saved

You can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.