Arsenal have extended the contract of youth sensation Khayon Edwards amid interest from Premier League rivals including Chelsea.
According to a report from The Athletic, Khayon Edwards’ transfer saga could have come to an end as Arsenal have agreed a contract extension with the talented youngster. The teenage prospect has penned to pen a new long-term deal in north London and prolong his stay at the club until 2025, with the goal of making a breakthrough under Mikel Arteta.
Currently plying his trade with Arsenal’s reserve troops, Edwards has been linked with a host of top clubs across England this year. Chelsea were among the clubs to keep close tabs on his progress at Arsenal while Brighton & Hove Albion were involved in the equation as well.
A centre-forward by trade, Khayon Edwards is regarded as one of the most gifted players to come out of the Arsenal academy in recent years. That is quite an achievement in itself given the fact that the Londoners have produced talents such as Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Joe Willock in recent years.
Edwards appears to follow a similar path, having mesmerised his onlookers with consistent performances in the youth leagues. Still only 18, the youngster had netted 16 goals in 16 U-18 Premier League matches this term before making the jump to the reserve side.
The teenager has featured in only two games in the Premier League 2 so far. But he has earned a reputation for his blistering pace, dynamism and the ability to sniff goalscoring opportunities.
Upon the signing of the new contract, Khayon Edwards is expected to continue his development with the club’s reserve team next season. There, he will have to compete with some of the other best talents in the academy before he can be promoted to the senior side, in due course.
Arsenal certainly have a few vacancies in the No. 9 role right now, with Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette both out of contract at the end of the season. Edwards still has a long way to go before he can be considered for the first team, but the door is certainly open for him to make an impression and explode in the Premier League in the coming years.
As for Chelsea, they will be disappointed to have missed out on the promising young talent. But they have their sights on several others across Europe, including emerging Scottish full-back Aaron Hickey.