Arsenal Targets Manchester United Academy Duo for Youth Rebuild
Arsenal’s summer overhaul is not stopping at the first team. It’s reaching right down into the academy – and it now has a distinctly Manchester United flavour.
The club are closing in on three new additions for their youth ranks, with United pair Habeeb Ogunneye and James Scanlon set to head to north London, alongside Blackburn Rovers striker Igor Tyjon. All three deals are expected to include sell-on clauses, underlining how sharply clubs now think about future value as much as present potential.
United prospects follow Horseman south
The Athletic report that 20-year-old right-back Ogunneye has already undergone a medical ahead of a move from Old Trafford. The transfer is expected to be a free, with United inserting a significant sell-on clause to protect their long-term interest.
On the opposite flank, 19-year-old winger James Scanlon is also understood to be close to finalising his switch from United on similar terms: no fee up front, but strong sell-on rights if Arsenal cash in down the line.
Both players arrive with a key connection already in place. Arsenal’s new under-21 head coach, David Horseman, spent four months working in United’s academy and knows the pair well. Arsenal are betting that familiarity will help accelerate their adaptation and development in north London.
Tyjon breakthrough after Blackburn stand-off
The Gunners’ academy recruitment drive doesn’t stop there. Arsenal are also nearing the end of a drawn-out pursuit of Blackburn Rovers forward Igor Tyjon.
The 18-year-old England Under-18 international has been at the centre of a dispute with Blackburn, who had resisted multiple approaches from Arsenal. The stalemate finally eased last week, with a breakthrough in talks and a medical taking place on Friday.
Arsenal have reportedly agreed to pay an initial £1 million, with further bonuses and a sell-on clause built into the deal. For a teenager yet to kick a ball in the Premier League, it’s a clear statement of faith.
Building stars – or selling them
Arsenal’s academy has already begun to feed Mikel Arteta’s senior squad. Max Dowman, Ethan Nwaneri and Marli Salmon are among the latest to step into first-team environments, underlining why the club continues to invest aggressively in youth.
But the modern academy is no longer just about producing starters for the Emirates Stadium. Under the Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan, youth systems are also designed to create players who can forge careers elsewhere – and, crucially, generate transfer income.
Chelsea have set the standard in that regard, banking over £400 million in fees from academy graduates. Those homegrown sales count as pure profit in the accounts, a vital lever under the old PSR (profit and sustainability) rules and still a central part of financial planning.
Arsenal’s pursuit of Ogunneye, Scanlon and Tyjon fits squarely into that model: develop, promote if they’re good enough, and sell smartly if they’re not.
Senior squad already reshaped – and more to come
While the academy quietly reloads, the first team has been anything but neglected.
Arteta and new sporting director Andrea Berta have already pushed through a major rebuild this summer. Piero Hincapie, Illan Meslier, Christos Tzolis, Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa have all arrived, with the combined outlay around £200 million.
The squad looks deeper. Sharper. More versatile. Yet the market work is far from done.
Several players are expected to leave before the window shuts at 11pm on September 1, trimming the squad and easing the wage bill. At the same time, Arsenal’s academy will look very different too – quietly reinforced, stocked with fresh talent, and carrying the kind of upside that can shape both the team sheet and the balance sheet for years to come.
