Arsenal are set to sign young Stoke City defender Jaden Dixon with a deal set to cost £3.2 million plus add-ons on deadline day.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Jaden Dixon is on the verge of signing for Arsenal in the background, with the defender being courted by many other top teams. He has had an impressive rise in stature over at Trentside, with Stoke City now agreeing a deal with the Gunners for a fee of up to £3.2 million.
Arsenal are very much focused on building their youth setup, as the U-21s are of utmost priority. The Gunners have been scouring the market for prodigious talents that could develop in the youth sides before giving themselves the chance to stake a claim at a first-team place.
Of late, under Mikel Arteta, a lot of their academy stars have gotten their first chance to impress, and a few of those have become mainstays in the first team squad. The likes of Max Dowman, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are prime examples, while other established stars like Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe and Eddie Nketiah have all come through the ranks a few years ago.
On to matters at hand, Arsenal have been busy targeting a few names in the market for the U21s, although they were beaten by Tottenham for the signing of Scottish teenager James Wilson. After they failed to land the Hearts striker, Arsenal may have agreed on a deal with St Mirren for winger Evan Mooney.
Now, they might have the chance to get one over Tottenham as they are on the verge of signing Stoke City defender Jaden Dixon. The 18-year-old English prodigy was part of the Spurs youth setup growing up and has gone on to develop into a Stoke City first-team player, making six appearances for the senior group, but none in the Championship.
Jaden Dixon: A big coup for Arsenal?
As per Fabrizio Romano, Dixon is set to sign a four-year deal with Arsenal, with the fee completed at £3.2 million plus add-ons. The potential of bonuses could also get the fee much higher than reported, as Arsenal seemingly views the 18-year-old English prodigy’s arrival as a big coup of sorts.
There were apparently many other teams in the mix, with some reports even pointing to Chelsea as a potential suitor. Depending on the quality of teams chasing the teenage defender, Arsenal may have found a gem in the market to be developed into a future star.