Arsenal are set to miss out to Liverpool in the race to sign teenage star Will Wright.
Liverpool have agreed a deal worth £200,000 with Salford City for the 17-year-old striker, who scored more than 50 goals across age groups last season.
Wright underwent a medical on Tuesday and a deal to take him to Merseyside is now in its final stages.
Arsenal had also been keen on the striker and had looked favourites to sign him.
Liverpool’s head of academy recruitment Chris Dowling is understood to have played a key role in pulling the deal off and beating Arsenal to the player.
Wright preferred a move to Liverpool as he was sold on their long-term development plan, while geographical reasons also played a part. His decision was not driven by money.
His desire to join Liverpool led to Salford agreeing a deal with them and the League Two side, co-owned by Gary Neville and David Beckham, will receive a fixed fee of £200,000.
Wright made three appearances for Salford last season and has featured for them in pre-season.
He is viewed as an exciting prospect and has been scouted by multiple Premier League clubs, not just Arsenal and Liverpool.
The Gunners have been on an aggressive recruitment drive at youth level in recent years.
This month they completed the signing of Demiane Agustien, who signed his first professional contract after leaving Derby.
The Dutch midfielder - whose father Kemy played for Swansea - was directly involved in 16 goals for Derby Under-18s and was won over by a pitch from Arsenal’s head of academy Per Mertesacker.
