Arsenal are closing in on a deal for highly rated 16-year-old striker Vincent Joseph after the forward rejected a new contract at Liverpool.
Joseph has already agreed personal terms with the Gunners. The two clubs are now negotiating a compensation package, with the matter potentially heading to a tribunal if no agreement is reached, according to The Athletic.
The young forward has impressed in Liverpool’s academy and with England’s youth teams, making him a significant loss for the Reds and a notable addition to Arsenal’s growing pipeline of teenage talent.
The deal is expected to be completed soon. Arsenal are also advancing on two other young targets: Axel Donczew from Cardiff City and Mylo Bernard, both of whom are expected to join the Emirates setup.
This recruitment drive follows Arsenal missing out on Jeremy Monga, who left Leicester for Manchester City earlier this summer. In an increasingly inflated transfer market, securing high-upside teenagers on relatively modest fees (or tribunal-determined compensation) remains a smart long-term strategy.
Arsenal’s first-team squad already features several academy products in key roles — Bukayo Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly among them — while Ethan Nwaneri, Max Dowman and Marli Salmon have all impressed during pre-season. Joseph and the other incoming prospects could follow a similar path, offering the club both future first-team options and the possibility of pure profit further down the line.
