Arsenal are in pole position to secure the services of Colchester United wonderkid Makhaya James, who is also being linked with a move to Scottish giants Celtic.
As reported by Football Insider, Arsenal and Celtic lead the race to sign Colchester United’s teenage sensation Makhaya James. The 17-year-old has been a standout at the youth level for the club and has attracted interest from a host of top clubs.
The Premier League title race is not quite over yet. But in the eyes of most people, it is. Manchester City narrowed the gap to Arsenal to just two points with a thumping 4-1 win at the Etihad Stadium. And the fact that they would retain two games in hand on their title rivals would make them firm favourites for glory once more.
With Arsenal dropping nine points in their last four games, a title that had been in their grasp has slipped away, giving Manchester City the opportunity to pounce. Having said that, while this unexpected tilt at a title ends in second place, there will also be a huge pang of regret.
The Gunners should not beat themselves up too much. They have made excellent progress with the youngest Premier League squad. And the fact they are competing for the title already also reflects positively on their excellent recruitment.
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In recent times, the Gunners have been brilliant when it comes to identifying the right talent to fit Mikel Arteta’s system. That is one of the biggest reasons why they have been so successful over the past couple of seasons. The club have pulled off one transfer masterstroke after another, rebuilding the squad expertly within such a short span of time and improving it as well.
However, with Champions League football on the horizon, it is not just the senior team that needs strengthening but the youth ranks as well in the upcoming summer transfer window. Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have eyes on many talents, with links to Vitor Roque and Ivan Fresneda emerging recently. And it looks like the Gunners have their eyes set on a very highly-rated talent in Colchester United left-back Makhaya James.
It is very clear that James is a highly-coveted talent amongst scouts across the UK when you see the teams that are looking to sign him despite having yet to feature for Colchester’s first team. James joined the U’s on a two-year scholarship deal in the summer of 2022 after thriving as a member of the Kinetic Academy. As per the report, he also has experience playing senior football for non-league outfit Glebe FC in the 2021–22 season.
While many more teams are believed to be after his signature as well, Arsenal are among those keeping tabs on James and are favourites to sign him ahead of the summer. Now, it remains to be seen who comes out on top and lands the left-back from Colchester United, who are bracing themselves for offers for the defender.
