Arsenal teenager Marcelo Flores is now closing in on a permanent move to Mexican side Tigres.
That’s according to journalist Charles Watts, who has revealed that the 19-year-old is set to end his four-year stay at the club, after joining from Ipswich Town’s youth academy in 2019.
Flores has been highly rated at the club and was included in the senior Mexico squad on a number of occasions.
He is now set to move to his native Mexico to play for Tigres, one of the biggest clubs in the country, and there is no indication that Arsenal have a buyback clause on this deal.
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“Marcelo Flores is close to a permanent move away from Arsenal. The 19-year-old is finalising a move to Tigres in Mexico,” Watts tweeted.
Flores to leave permanently
Although talented, Flores has had a fairly difficult few seasons, and his chances of breaking into the Arsenal first team appeared incredibly slim.
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He spent last season on loan at Spanish second-division side Real Oviedo, where the club President described him as a player with a “great future,” but made just 15 appearances, providing one assist.
An attacking midfielder who could also play on the wings, Flores scored five times in 16 games for the Arsenal under-21s, after scoring 10 and assisting five times in 32 games for the under-18 side.
He was one of the higher-rated talents at the club, and his early inclusion into the Mexico squad highlighted his potential, but a permanent move to his home nation may be the best next step to take, as he can start to play regular football and settle at a club.
Arsenal’s strength in depth now will make it difficult for any young player trying to break through into the first-team, and Flores is an unfortunate casualty given the current talent levels in the senior and academy sides.