Arsenal agree record transfer deal in latest coup after Eberechi Eze hijack

Arsenal are poised to sign Shamrock Rovers' 16-year-old prodigy, Victor Ozhianvuna, in a deal which will make the midfielder the most expensive League of Ireland player ever.

The Gunners have now broken the £260million barrier with their spending after sealing a £67.5m deal for Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze over the weekend as they continue to attack the transfer market before next week's deadline. The England star follows the likes of Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Cristhian Mosquera through the door this summer.

Mikel Arteta hinted over the weekend that Arsenal were not necessarily done in the transfer market after returning to the table for Eze, who they considered signing earlier in the window.

And it has now emerged that Arsenal are close to finalising a deal for one of Ireland's top young talents in Ozhianvuna.

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Reports in Ireland claim that the talented teenager will move for a fee of €2million (£1.73m): a sum which would make him the League of Ireland's biggest transfer ever, surpassing the £1.6m Tottenham paid for Mason Melia earlier this year.

Ozhianvuna will sign a pre-contract agreement with Arsenal before linking up with them officially in January 2027, when he turns 18. The versatile attacking midfielder, who can operate on the left and centrally, was pursued heavily by Per Mertesacker, Arsenal's academy manager.

Arsenal's imminent capture of Ozhianvuna comes just days after 15-year-old Max Dowman caught the eye on his Premier League debut with a dazzling cameo display in Saturday evening's 5-0 win over Leeds, which culminated in him winning a late penalty.

“This is what we see every single day in training, Arteta said of Dowman post-match. “There is a kid here that has zero hesitation. He’s so convinced that he can go in at 15 and deliver that, which I’ve never witnessed in my life. And for us, it brings joy, it brings emotion and something else that makes our jobs so great.”

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