Arsenal are set to sign Shamrock Rovers starlet Victor Ozhianvuna in a record sale for the League of Ireland.
Ozhianvuna, 16, will sign a pre-contract agreement and is due to join up with the Gunners in January of 2027, after his 18th birthday.
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He has been handed a four-and-a-half-year deal, which is expected to be announced later this week.
Reports in Ireland set the fee at €2million (£1.73m), eclipsing the record set when Mason Melia joined Tottenham from St Patrick’s Athletic for £1.5m earlier this year.
Despite his meagre years, the Tallaght-born Ozhianvuna made his first-team debut for Rovers in February, and scored in the FAI Cup in July.
He has already featured in the Irish national team setup, representing the under-18 outfit in friendlies against Norway, Croatia, and Turkey earlier this year.
He caught the eye of Arsenal scouts in an academy tournament hosted at the Gunners’ Colney training centre in 2023, beating a side which featured Max Dowman.
Belgian side Club Brugge were also in for his signature, but the midfielder chose to join the Gunners after visiting their training ground and meeting with Per Mertesacker, who now manages the club’s academy.
Ozhianvuna is seen as a versatile option in midfield and attack. He is right-footed and prefers to operate on the left.
The move follows a push from Arsenal to expand their recruitment in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. They hope to position themselves as a desirable destination for promising Irish talent in years to come.
The club’s academy is already renowned as one of the best in the Premier League, with graduates including Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Ethan Nwaneri all establishing themselves as first-team regulars in recent seasons.
