BBC Sport reporter Simon Stone has claimed that Arsenal are close to confirming the signature of Domingos Quina from Chelsea.
The 16 year-old midfielder joined the Blues in 2012, having previously trained with Benfica for two years, and is hotly tipped to have a bright future in football.
He alerted a host of clubs to his signature this week after going AWOL, and refusing to train, whilst telling his coaches he was leaving them to join another side.
Reports have now emerged that Arsenal have won the race to sign the Portuguese Under-17 international, with a deal expected within 48 hours.
Quina was being monitored by fellow Premier League clubs Liverpool and Manchester United, but now appears to be the latest young prodigy to join Arsenal from a fellow big club.
The Gunners are known for poaching a number of Spanish talents, predominantly from Barcelona’s youth academy, but following their London rivals recent wins in the UEFA Youth League and in England, they have now moved to raid them also.
Only this week fellow Chelsea youngster Charly Musonda, who is also extremely highly rated, claimed his club had turned away offers to sign him from Arsenal, as well as Manchester United and City, but with Quina yet to sign a permanent contract the Blues were powerless to stop him from moving on.
The young midfielder will have much more chance of earning a place in the Arsenal senior side, with their West-London rivals proving to be rather clueless at promoting from youth.
Quina will hope to emulate the likes of Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin, Hector Bellerin and Alex Iwobi and earn a place in the Arsenal first-team, but he will have to not only prove his ability, but his work ethic also in order to succeed.
Musonda will most likely grow frustrated in the near future also, and where better to earn your stripes than with us?
I am suspicious! Why would Chelsea want to sell him to us?! Isn’t he good enough or something?
He is a free signing, because he hasn’t signed on professionally.
I’m surprised many more of their youngsters aren’t trying to get out and come join Arsenal.
Manu used to be great at bringing through youngsters, with Mourinho who ignored chelseas kids it would only get worse on that front.
Pep Arsene and Klopp, these are the managers the kids parents are going to send the little ones to.
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrilliant….just the signing we have been yearning a s crying for…with this prodigious talent in our squad next season we will win the league, the f.a, the C.l,carling cup,world club cup and then finally the world cup….shame the Euro’s coming this season,we would hv won that too????
OT:
This is really a boring week … hate these international breaks …
Every 16year old has a bright future but at arsenal that ‘bright future’ will come when they are 30 yrs coz we still waiting on theo ox gibbs among others to attain their bright future even aftr a decade!
We have so many talented kids,but surely we need proven players to give us titles!that kid is not even in Chelsea Top ten young stars….Wenger stop being stubborn bring in Ibrahimovich!we need goals,we are far behind our rivals in terms of goals scored!!
Asenal has enough young
skinny black midfielders
to last us the next 200 years.
Walcott Iwobi Chamberlain
Campbell Sanogo, Zelalem, Gnabry, Adelaide,
Niles, Kamara Wellington, Joe Willock, Chris Willock,
Fortune, Malen, Mavididi, Hinds,
Marc Bola, Talaji Bola, Nkiteah,
da Graca, Tutu, Bennacer, Eyoma.
Da silva, McGuane, Kelechi, Chukwueze.
So with this slew of dynamic black midfielders
why do we need any more?
@davidnz
You can never have too much “Black”…
Don’t see how stating that they are black solidifies your point in any way mate.
chelsea aren,t selling him he is out of contract,read the article properly!!