Six-figure teen sensation now ‘destined to sign for Arsenal’ following pro debut

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Arsenal look set to complete an unexpected signing, as Irish teenager Ceadach O’Neill appears to be close to joining the club.

The 15-year-old recently made his debut in professional football, coming on as a substitute for Irish side Linfield in the top flight against Ballymena on Saturday.

A central midfielder, O’Neill is regarded as a top talent, and could follow Linfield’s youth model, which has seen a number of promising youngsters move on to bigger clubs.

Arsenal close to Ceadach O’Neill capture

A report from The Belfast Telegraph has now revealed that O’Neill is set to follow fellow young talent Braiden Graham to the Premier League, with Graham set to join Everton.

Arsenal are yet to agree a deal for O’Neill, but made an offer in the region of £240k, with the player reportedly “destined to join Arsenal.”

Given his young age, should he join, it seems likely that O’Neill will initially be part of the youth setup, but given the potential fee spent on him, he may be seen as someone who has the potential to break into the first-team in the future.

Arsenal’s young central midfield options

The Hale End academy has been thriving in recent years, with Bukayo Saka an obvious success story, whilst young midfielders Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri are both impressing for club and country at youth level.

Given that Nwaneri is just 16, should O’Neill join he will be facing a lot of competition in his position, but he will also be given the opportunity to play alongside some of the best young talents in his age group.

Under Mikel Arteta, it has become clear that if a youth player is deemed good enough to succeed at the club, he will be given an opportunity, and this has meant Nwaneri, and fellow youngster Charles Sagoe Jr have both made their senior debuts already.

O’Neill has featured for Northern Ireland under-17s once, and looks set to become a key player for his side in the next few years, as he is already playing above his age group.

He will likely link up with the Arsenal under-18s to continue his development, before eventually moving to the under-21 side, and he is a player whom Per Mertesacker and Jack Wilshere may keep a close eye on.

Arsenal’s academy is thriving with the two ex-players in crucial roles, and recruiting from other top academies may reap dividends in the future as elite talents are being eyed up.