Arsenal Targets Manchester United Duo for Academy Rebuild

Arsenal’s first team has already had a £200million facelift this summer. Now the club are turning the same ruthless attention to the next generation.

The Gunners are closing in on three new additions for their academy, with Manchester United duo Habeeb Ogunneye and James Scanlon, plus Blackburn Rovers forward Igor Tyjon, all on course to arrive in north London.

Raiding Manchester United’s youth ranks

Arsenal have moved quickly for Ogunneye. The 20-year-old right-back has already undergone a medical ahead of a proposed switch from Old Trafford, according to The Athletic, and is expected to join on a free transfer that includes a significant sell-on clause for United.

On the opposite flank of the pitch, 19-year-old winger James Scanlon is also edging towards a move south. His deal is likewise expected to be a free transfer with a strong sell-on percentage written in for United, a clear nod to how both clubs now view academy talent as a financial as well as footballing asset.

These are not blind punts. Both players are well known to Arsenal’s new under-21 head coach David Horseman, who spent four months in United’s academy setup. He knows what he is getting, and Arsenal are backing his judgement.

Tyjon breakthrough after stand-off

The third piece of business has been harder to land. Arsenal have chased Blackburn Rovers striker Igor Tyjon for months, only to run into resistance from the Championship club, who pushed back against multiple approaches.

That deadlock has finally cracked. A breakthrough was reached last week, and the 18-year-old England Under-18 international underwent a medical on Friday. Arsenal have agreed an initial £1m fee, with bonuses and a sell-on clause attached.

It is a structure that fits neatly into the Premier League’s modern academy economy: relatively low upfront risk, with upside if a prospect explodes in value.

Arsenal lean into academy as asset

Arsenal’s academy already has a reputation for producing high-ceiling talent. Max Dowman, Ethan Nwaneri and Marli Salmon have all had a taste of first-team life under Mikel Arteta, underlining the pathway that exists at London Colney.

But the job has changed. Academies are no longer just about delivering players for the manager. Under the Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan, they are also tasked with shaping professional careers and generating saleable assets.

Chelsea have set the benchmark, banking over £400m in transfer fees from homegrown players. Those sales count as pure profit under the old PSR (profit and sustainability) framework, a crucial lever for clubs trying to strengthen while staying inside financial rules.

Arsenal’s latest moves, with sell-on clauses at the heart of all three incoming academy deals, show they are leaning hard into that model.

Senior squad already reinforced – and more to come

While the academy is being retooled, the first team has not stood still. Arteta, working in tandem with sporting director Andrea Berta, has already seen Piero Hincapie, Illan Meslier, Christos Tzolis, Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa walk through the door for a combined outlay of around £200m.

That level of investment underlines Arsenal’s intent to stay at the sharp end of the Premier League title race.

Yet the window is far from done. With business still to be completed before the 11pm deadline on September 1 and several surplus players expected to move on, the senior squad will continue to shift.

And beneath it, with Ogunneye, Scanlon and Tyjon poised to arrive, a new layer of Arsenal’s future is being quietly built.