Arsenal have made a contract offer to highly-rated academy star Kido Taylor-Hart, football.london understands.
The 18-year-old has impressed at under-18 level where he has six goals and four assists in nine appearances, with his current scholarship deal expiring in the summer.
He has also featured for Steve Bould's under-23 side this season, scoring three goals in ten games, netting another goal as the under-23s drew 2-2 with Southampton on Friday afternoon.
Taylor-Hart has yet to sign his first professional contract with the club and football.london understands that there is interest in the starlet from teams in Germany, Holland and Belgium as well as in England.
The Gunners currently have 39 youngsters on professional contracts and a further 19 on scholarship deals, with a large number expected to leave the club this summer.
Those departures are likely to include Folarin Balogun who has yet to commit his future to Arsenal, despite manager Mikel Arteta insisting there have been "positive talks" between technical director Edu and the player's representatives.
Balogun has scored seven goals in 14 Premier League 2 appearance this season, and averaged a goal every 31 minutes in the Europa League group stage despite not starting a game.
He's been on the sidelines with an injury for the past few weeks and was named among the substitutes bench for the match against Southampton on Friday, but sources tell football.london that the 19-year-old is not expected to renew his contract with the club.
Ben Sheaf is on loan at Coventry City and likely to leave, along with Joseph Olowu who will be a free agent in the summer.
They are likely to be followed by left-back Tolaji Bola and goalkeeper Deyan Iliev, although Zech Medley could stay and football.london has been told that the club have the option of triggering an extra year for the defender who is currently on loan at Scottish side Kilmarnock.
