Arsenal are reportedly expected to secure the services of Tottenham Hotspur starlet Jonathan Dinzeyi on a free transfer this summer.
According to The Athletic, Arsenal are closing in on the capture of Jonathan Dinzeyi. The young defender, who is originally from the youth academy of arch-rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, is expected to join the club on a free transfer after his contract with Spurs expired at the end of the season.
Dinzeyi is not exactly one of the best talents to come out of the Tottenham academy in recent years. But, it seems Arsenal are ready to offer him an opportunity to prove his talents as the Gunners look to further emphasise on the development of young players.
The north London giants have especially embraced a more youth-friendly strategy following the appointment of Mikel Arteta as the first-team boss. And it comes as no surprise, given how much success the Arsenal academy has had in recent years, producing talents like Bukayo Saka, Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah among many others.
They are all considered to be key members of the first-team under Arteta. Relying on young players has also aided the club in terms of their financial structure, as opposed to splashing tonnes of cash in the transfer market. And Arsenal will hope that Dinzeyi could follow the footsteps of some of their academy stars, who are playing for the senior side.
The youngster certainly has the scope to do so as Arteta braces himself for a potential overhaul in the defensive unit. The Spaniard is reportedly willing to offload a host of fringe defenders this summer including Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi, while David Luiz is nearing the final phase of his career.
It should lay the foundation for Arteta to build his new-look defence around young players like Kieran Tierney or even Willian Saliba, who has returned from his loan spell at St. Etienne. And unlike other areas of the pitch, Arsenal do not exactly have several academy products vying for a place in the senior side in the defensive department,
It is good news for Dinzeyi, who has failed to establish himself the Tottenham Hotspur first-team under Jose Mourinho. The defender, in fact, has suffered a slight decline following his eventual rise to prominence back in 2018, when he most notably made a senior team appearance for Spurs during a friendly against Girona.
However, the idea of proving his doubters at Tottenham wrong should serve as a nice incentive for Dinzeyi to work harder and make his breakthrough in professional football, especially by donning the shirt of arch-rivals Arsenal.
