Arsenal have completed the signing of the Ecuadorian teenage twin brothers Edwin and Holger Quintero.
Andrea Berta pushed to sign the Quintero twins, and the South American duo completed their pre-agreed moves to North London on Thursday.
Arsenal have described Edwin as a right winger who is ‘left-footed, quick and a skilful dribbler’; meanwhile, Holger is a ‘technically gifted, attacking midfielder’.
The Gunners have moved quickly to secure the talented twins, who are due to make the switch to the Emirates Stadium in 2027.
To find out more about the finances involved in such a deal to sign two 16-year-old talents, Arsenal Insider has spoken to the site’s Head of Finance, Adam Williams.
Arsenal’s eight-figure deal for Edwin and Holder Quintero makes sense
On the face of it, investing £9 million, as reported by BBC Sport, into two 16-year-olds who have never played in Europe seems a gamble from Arsenal.
But ultimately, paying an eight-figure sum for such big talents is a risk with huge upside, given Edwin and Holder Quintero’s potential.
Commenting on the deal, Williams told Arsenal Insider: “16 is the age when players start to get more exposed to the rigours of first-team football. Within the next two or three years, value can absolutely explode. So paying nearly eight figures for a pair of 16-year-olds is a gamble, yes, but one with a huge upside.
🇪🇨 Arsenal sign Edwin and Holder Quintero for £9 million!
Which Arsenal teenage talent now excites you the most following the Quintero twins’ signing? Let us know in the comments… 👀
There is every chance that in just a few years, the duo’s value could skyrocket, and that would come as no surprise to the Gunners, who clearly believe in the twins.
Arsenal now boasts an exciting collection of youngsters, with Max Dowman, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly all touted as future superstars.
Ahead of their arrival in 2027, the North London club’s squad is brimming with potential and shaping up very nicely to dominate Europe.
Arsenal can easily afford £9 million for Edwin and Holder Quintero
Arsenal’s Premier League Squad Cost Ratio means that the club have next to no issues investing such a fee in two players they clearly believe are future world beaters.
The Gunners have a budget of around £610 million for domestic competitions; therefore, £9 million plus wages and agent fees is a mere drop in the ocean.
“Under the new SCR rules, you’re getting in at the ground floor and acquiring two players who could – hypothetically – be worth 10 times as much in the future, but with only a fraction of that £9 million counting towards your transfer amortisation costs each year,” added Williams.
With agents’ fees, transfer levies and so on, let’s assume the total cost is £10 million. Only £2 million of that is amortised over each year of the twins’ five-year deals when they begin in 2027.
Could this be Arsenal’s starting XI in 10 years?
“You have wages on top of that, but they will be very modest for the time being. Arsenal’s SCR budget is going to be something like £510 million under UEFA’s system and £610 million under the Premier League system. £2 million plus wages is a drop in the ocean there. As a cash expense, it’s trivial too.
“£9 to 10 million is chicken feed for a club like Arsenal these days, and they must be pretty confident in their scouting given recent success in the academy department, so I personally see these as pretty low-risk deals.
“If they are successful, there’s also something very marketable about twins. That’s a very clinical way to look at it, especially with people so young, but that is the way that big clubs like Arsenal think. There is a commercial element to everything they do as well as a sporting focus.”
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